• We all learn about appearance ideals from the people and culture that surround us; we know that thinness (and muscularity! and a certain shape!) is valued.

• Appearance ideals are overwhelmingly unrealistic and can be incredibly damaging to our body image, especially when they come at us repeatedly across the day in our social media feeds.

• General media literacy, changing our approach to how we view the media, and working to value appearance ideals less can help us to protect and improve our body images.

• Being regularly physically active is an important part of taking care of your body and nurturing a positive body image.

• Physical activity can improve not just how you feel about yourself, but your mental and physical health as well. Being regularly active can even help you live a longer life.

• There are direct links between physical activity and body image with activity likely to help you value your physical functionality and appreciate all the wonderful things that your body can do.

Following the exponential increase in Internet use over recent decades, social networking sites have become a major source of information and inspiration. These networks have a crucial role in defining beauty standards and sharing new trends and ideas, especially among adolescents and young adults. The concept of ‘fitspiration’ (a combination of the words ‘fitness’ and ‘inspiration’) encourages people to engage in physical activity and adopt a healthy lifestyle. This chapter discusses how fitspiration’s emphasis on well-being, having a fit body, and healthy lifestyle has made potentially pathological behaviours, such as dietary restriction, substance misuse, and overexercising, socially acceptable. The potential physical and psychological risks to fitspiration users, including unsupervised supplement intake, body image disturbances, eating disorders, physical and mental burnout, social isolation, and feelings of weakness and worthlessness, are analysed. The need to further elucidate the potentially harmful effects of social network content and develop preventive mental health strategies is highlighted.

Exercise addiction (EA) is probably the most ‘hidden’ of the behavioural addictions. In a society in which a fit body is normally considered to be a symptom of a healthy lifestyle and success, the assessment and treatment of a maladaptive and health-threatening pattern of exercise may be challenging for healthcare professionals. Furthermore, the lack of guidance and literature on the topic may represent an additional complication on the diagnostic and therapeutic pathway. Although EA is not included in the DSM-5, it is mandatory to inform clinicians about it, as well as other healthcare providers (e.g., psychotherapists, physiotherapists), in order to better identify early signs of such an addiction and prevent injuries or other serious effects on physical or mental health. This chapter provides information on the aetiological basis of EA as well as a compendium of psychological and pharmacological interventions.

Social media is part of life for adolescents in the United States. Research on social media has increased, as scholars attempt to understand how social media could help and harm adolescents’ well-being. Prior research suggests social media affects users’ body image, with individuals sharing images of themselves at their most attractive while experiencing preoccupation over how their appearance will be perceived by others. The effects of social media on body image heighten during adolescence, a developmental stage where individuals prioritize physical attractiveness over domains of self-worth. We describe developmental features of adolescence, and how they intersect with social media, with implications for body image and disordered eating. Next, we introduce relevant theoretical frameworks for considering social media’s effect on body image. Then, we examine how features of social media affect adolescents’ body image and disordered eating. Finally, we explore social media platforms devoted to body image concerns and disordered eating.