@gettyimages
The ills of excessive screen time have been well-documented, but a recent study (University of California, San Francisco) just identified another possible risk. Children between the ages of 9 and 11 who have more screen time are more likely to develop binge eating disorder (BED) one year later — and social media is a main culprit. Each hour spent on social media was linked to a 62 percent higher risk of binge eating disorder, while each hour spent watching television or movies was linked with a 39 percent higher risk.
Binge eating disorder is characterized by recurrent, short episodes of high food consumption — or binging — often accompanied by a feeling of loss of control. People who suffer from BED typically feel distress or guilt following the binge. BED is the most common eating disorder in the United States, and affects people both overweight and average weight.
It begins most often in the late teens or early 20s.