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Eating Disorders: Children and Young People

Question for Department of Health and Social Care

UIN 24901, tabled on 30 June 2021

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department will make an assessment of the impact of social media on children and young people developing eating disorders.

Answered on

6 July 2021

This Department, through the National Institute for Health Research, has funded a systematic review to explore the relationship between social networking sites and other online content, and body image and disordered eating in children and young people. The review is being led by the Evidence for Policy and Practice Information and Co-ordinating Centre and we will report on findings in due course. We are also working with the Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport on the Online Safety Bill to fully consider pro-eating disorder content online.