Eating disorders are being normalized and it’s terrifying to watch.

I was watching Stranger Things and couldn’t stop thinking about how emaciated Natalia Dyer looks as Nancy. Same with Ariana Grande. These are incredibly visible public figures, and whether intentional or not, they’re modeling extreme restriction to millions of young people. We act like this is just “their body” or “their choice,” but when you’re that thin in the public eye, you are shaping what an entire generation thinks is acceptable, desirable, or even healthy.

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They’re not just hurting themselves. They’re inspiring kids, especially young girls, to starve. To restrict food to the point where their growth is stunted, not just physically, but mentally. Poor nutrition during adolescence wrecks the developing brain. It affects emotional regulation, learning, focus, logic, and decision making. It damages organs. It creates constant exhaustion. This isn’t aesthetic. It’s neurological and biological harm.

I know this firsthand. I’m a father of a teenager. I’ve watched what an eating disorder does to a growing child up close. The mood swings, the fear around food, the hollowed-out energy, the way it takes over their entire world. It’s not a phase. It’s not vanity. It’s a serious illness with long-term consequences.

And social media is pouring gasoline on it.

Teenagers can’t realistically opt out of social media anymore. That’s where their friends are. That’s where school life happens. That’s where social belonging lives. But once an algorithm decides you might be vulnerable, especially if you stumble into pro-ana content even once, you’re done. You’re marked.

My daughter, after recovery, regularly blocks and reports these accounts. She does everything she’s supposed to do. And they still keep coming. Over and over. Posts celebrating eating 200 calories a day for a week. Photos glorifying visible bones. Girls bragging that modeling agencies “love this look.” It’s insidious, destructive shit dressed up as empowerment or discipline.

We wouldn’t tolerate content encouraging self-harm in this way if it were about cutting or substance abuse. But when it’s starvation, suddenly it gets framed as lifestyle, aesthetic, or personal choice. Platforms wring their hands while continuing to push the content because it drives engagement.

This isn’t harmless. It’s not edgy. It’s not just thin people existing. It’s an ecosystem that rewards illness and feeds it directly to children.

And pretending otherwise is failing them.

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