Thinspo, short for “thinspiration,” refers to images, affirmations, and media designed to inspire people to engage in disordered eating habits. Thinspo content is increasingly common on social media platforms, preying on some of the most vulnerable populations. While some material advocates for recovery, thinspo often encourages people to manipulate or conceal their behavior to avoid getting caught or into trouble.
What Is Thinspo?
Thinspo, at the core, is about embracing and aspiring to thinness.1This message comes in many forms and can include anything from dangerous diet strategies to laxative abuse tips to community support for restricting your calories. While some suggestions vary, the harmful overarching message is straightforward: stay sick and keep letting eating disorders progress.
“‘Thinspo’ is a newer term that has come about with the rise of social media in the last decade or so. It is referring to someone that gives you the
inspiration or “inspo” to be thin,” says Tara Javidan, LCPC, CADC. “Generally speaking, Thinspo is targeted towards women (mainly young women/teens) and will come in the form of social media accounts that have highly edited photos of other young women who have a very thin and unrealistic body shape and weight. Thinspo can also include quotes and diet advice from the accounts. The goal of Thinspo is to encourage people/women to work towards this ideal thin body, through any means possible.
Thinspo embraces excessive thinness and maintains intensely unrealistic body image standards for people of all ages. In more extreme forms, it extorts the connection between social media and self-esteem by shaming people who try to break their unhealthy patterns and recover.
Pro Ana & Pro Mia Sites
Pro-ana websites and pro-mia websites embrace anorexia and bulimia. The efforts may be covert or overt, but the goal is to inspire and connect like-minded people into validating their struggles. Unfortunately, rather than promote recovery resources, most members rely on sharing and consuming thinspo content as a means of staying dedicated to their disorders.
While many website moderators and social media platforms attempt to block triggering comments, these well-intentioned efforts don’t always work. Unfortunately, it simply takes a different hashtag, website, or motivational quote to start a new thinspo trend.
For example, when Instagram banned “thinspiration” content, users began spelling it as “thynspiration.” In other words, as moderation ramps up, people tend to become more creative in their wordplay.2
The Harmful Impact of Thinspiration
Thinspiration content varies in type and severity, but most of it subscribes to the dangerous notion that eating disorders and dangerous eating habits are a lifestyle choice.3 Other negative concepts pushed by thinspo are that only “real people” have eating disorders while the rest are “wannabes.”
Thinspo also promotes the following:
- Specific tips and tricks to help you lose weight
- Thinness as the highest standard (anything outside of that is ugly and unwanted)
- The quest for total control and perfection
- The idea that if you have enough dedication, you can achieve the perfect body
These ideas can be detrimental to anyone. While they likely don’t singlehandedly cause an eating disorder, they can certainly exacerbate troubling thoughts about body image, diet, and weight. Similarly, if someone is struggling with anorexia or bulimia, it may encourage them to continue harmful behaviors without seeking help.
Eating disorders can be lethal and are considered the second deadliest mental illness, ranking just behind opioid overdoses. Over 10,000 people die from eating disorder-related causes every year, averaging at about one death every 52 minutes. Subsequently, over a quarter of people struggling with eating disorders attempt suicide.4
Mental Health Effects of Thinspo
Engaging in thinspiration can have a serious impact on a person’s mental health, causing things like depression and anxiety to emerge or worsen.
Mental health effects of thinspo can include:
- Depression
- Anxiety disorders
- Self-doubt
- Self-loathing
- Resentment towards others
- Feeling competitive with others (especially with those who are thinner)
- Isolation
Physical Health Effects of Thinspo
Thinspo can also correlate with dangerous eating and exercise habits, which can coincide with physical symptoms and effects like heart problems, blocked intestines, and losing hair.
Here are thirteen physical effects of thinspo:5
- Severe malnourishment
- Electrolyte imbalances
- Heart problems or failure.
- Extreme blood sugar fluctuations
- Blocked intestines
- Constipation or diarrhea
- Damaged nerve endings
- Bacterial infections
- Numbing and tingling in the extremities
- Dizziness or fainting
- Bone loss and osteoporosis
- Losing hair
- Kidney failure
Is There Healthy Thinspo?
Thinspiration, by nature, is extremely toxic and unhealthy. That’s because it promotes specific body types, diet plans, and mentalities of willpower and control in almost all cases. The message tends to come across as both righteous and shaming. In other words, thinspo says, “Do these things and you will be perfect. If you don’t, you’re worthless.”
In recent years, the “fitspo” trend has emerged in popularity, too. In some ways, this differs from thinspo in the sense that fitness is the goal, but research shows that both types of “inspiration” emphasize appearance, particularly body shape and size.
Moreover, thinspo and fitspo both focus on sexual attractiveness, extreme exercise, using guilt to motivate, and themes of restriction.6 Therefore, even if people assume fitspo focuses more on health, they might suffer the same mental and physical consequences as if they were viewing thinspo.
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When to Get Help For Eating Disorders
Eating disorders can be sneaky and insidious, but they are treatable conditions. If you think you or a loved one is struggling with anorexia, bulimia, or some other form of disordered eating, early intervention may be critical. Immediately seeking professional help is one of the best first steps toward recovery.
How to Find a Therapist
Depending on the severity of the condition, you may require comprehensive care (e.g., a therapist, dietitian, and primary care physician). In general, a qualified therapist can help determine the best strategy for recovery. Choose a therapist with experience in treating eating disorders, and remember that trust can take some time. It’s important to give your therapist a few sessions to determine whether they’re the right fit.
To start your search for a therapist, browse an online therapist directory.
How to Help a Loved One Find Help
It’s difficult to know how to help someone with an eating disorder. First, try to understand the warning signs. Note that it’s common for the individual to persuade you that they’re “fine.” Arm yourself with information and let the person know it’s not their fault.
Here are ways to help someone who may be affected by thinspo:
- Seek out professional care for them as soon as it becomes evident that the condition cannot be managed without intervention.
- Ask your loved one what they need from you.
- Spend time with your loved one outside of therapeutic activities
- Make yourself available to talk, spend time with, and listen to your loved one
- Research eating disorders and related conditions so that you are informed
- Listen to them and validate their feelings
- Be honest and open with them about your experiences, observations, and concerns in a loving way
- Role-model healthy attitudes and behaviors regarding food, exercise, and body image
- Avoid food, body, weight, and diet talk around them
- When offering praise, focus on character traits rather than appearance and performance-based compliments
Final Thoughts on Thinspiration
Thinspo is harmful and dangerous to everyone. It promotes impossible standards while shaming vulnerable people into engaging in life-threatening behaviors. That said, if you keep looking at thinspo content (even after you know about its negative impacts), you’re not alone. The first step is to seek support. Reaching out to a trusted lo
For Further Reading
Thinspo Infographics
