How social media in China shapes eating disordersCEFR A1
15 Apr 2026
Adapted from Lina Ma, Global Voices • CC BY 3.0
Photo by Declan Sun, Unsplash
- Social media in China changes talk about eating disorders.
- Some pages present thinness as a lifestyle.
- Users post daily notes of food and weight.
- People write check-ins with weight and food.
- Comments often praise strict food rules.
- Young users use codes and emojis to hide.
- Platforms try to remove harmful posts.
- Experts say removal alone is not enough.
- Some users join small hidden groups online.
- This trend worries parents and teachers.
Difficult words
- eating disorder — a mental illness about food and weighteating disorders
- thinness — being very thin or low body weight
- check-in — a short message about your current statuscheck-ins
- strict — having firm and exact rules
- emoji — small pictures used in messagesemojis
- hidden group — a small private online communityhidden groups
Tip: hover, focus or tap highlighted words in the article to see quick definitions while you read or listen.
Discussion questions
- Do you use social media?
- Have you seen people write their weight online?
- Would you tell a parent or teacher if you saw harmful posts?
Related articles
AI tool to improve cause-of-death data in low-income countries
Researchers created CODA, an AI tool to give more accurate causes of death in low-income countries where few deaths have documented causes. CODA can work in communities and health facilities and will begin limited trials.
High-fat diet lets gut bacteria reach mouse brains
Emory University researchers found that a short high-fat diet can let live gut bacteria travel to the brain in mice. The bacteria moved along the vagus nerve; returning to a normal diet reduced this effect and researchers call for more study.
New PET study links brain markers in Parkinson’s disease
Researchers used PET scans to compare two brain markers — dopamine transporters and synaptic density — in people with Parkinson’s and healthy volunteers. The study shows the usual link between markers breaks down in Parkinson’s.