The more teen girls are involved in Facebook, the more they may be at risk for negative body image and for developing eating disorders, says a new study.

Researchers at the University of Haifa in Israel surveyed teens about their social media habits:

The girls, with a median age of 14.8, were asked about their TV-watching, Internet and magazine-reading habits. Regarding television, the girls were queried about whether they watched popular shows that present an extreme focus on Barbie doll-like “beautiful, voluptuous and thin” women. They also filled out questionnaires on their desire to be thin, satisfaction (or lack of same) with their bodies, weight and eating.

The Haifa researchers found that there was a direct connection between the extent of their Facebook involvement and a greater number of eating problems. The more they were on the social network, the more they were likely to suffer from bulimia (eating a lot of food and then vomiting it) or anorexia (starving themselves), dissatisfaction with their figures and pursuit of a weight-loss diet.

The researchers concluded that the more time you spend on Facebook, the more you tend to be self-obsessed (oof), so naturally you’re more likely to be focused on your own appearance.

What do you think, Lovelies? Can you see how Facebook could encourage disordered eating, or is this study a bunch of bull?