Porn, poor eating are bedmates

WOMEN whose male romantic partners watch porn frequently are at greater risk of developing eating disorders, a new study suggests.

Ohio State University researchers found that women felt more pressure to have a thin body and lose weight when the men in their lives were regular consumers of porn.

The risk factors for eating disorders were complex and involve genetic dispositions, particularly brain chemistry and how the pressure affects people’s psychology.

Perfectionism and low self-esteem are considered leading risk factors for eating disorders, but external forces can tip the scale. In the US, at least 30 million people are estimated to have this disorder.

Conditions such as anorexia are often portrayed dismissively in the media, but someone dies every hour as a result of an eating disorder.

The jury is out on porn and its mental health effects. While some psychologists have pushed to have over-consumption of porn deemed an addiction, others have argued that graphic videos can be an outlet or a bonding experience.

However, one of the risks associated with porn is its tendency to portray idealised and unrealistic versions of sex and people. Drawing unfavourable comparisons between yourself and someone on screen can stir up deep-seeded insecurities.

Lead study author Tracy Tylka, an Ohio State University psychology professor, said the researchers surveyed more than 500 women in the US and the link became clear: women whose partners watched as much as eight hours of pornography were at much greater risk of developing an eating disorder.