Social Media Spreads the “Allure” of the Thigh Gap
By:   //  Health & Science, News Briefs

Teenage girls and young women are taking to social media to tout the latest body trend – the elusive and possibly dangerous thigh gap. What’s a thigh gap? Those obsessed with such things know that a thigh gap appears when a person (usually a young female) gets so slender that her thighs don’t touch when she stands with her feet together.

While medical specialists say achieving a thigh gap is risky for your health (due to the incredibly low body fat percentage required), and impossible for many due to their particular body type, the idea is spreading exponentially across millions of blogs and other social media websites.

According to Claire Mysko, an advocate who works for the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA), teens focusing on a particular body part is nothing new. “What is new,” she says, “is these things have taken on a life of their own because of the Internet and social media.”

Experts continue to try and impress upon teenagers that skinny does not equate to fit or muscular, and the pursuit of that “ideal” often leads to disturbed eating patterns which can pose a serious threat to your health. The NEDA operates an informational website at www.Proud2BMe.org. (Derek Dowell – VNN) (Image: Flickr | Bob Bekian)

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