Analyzing the likelihood of recovering from anorexia using social media posts

Started Dec. 23, 2022

Abstract or project description

Anorexia is a common eating disorder that causes the individuals to develop an intense fear of gaining weight. While it can manifest in several ways, it is commonly associated with a below-normal weight through starvation or excessive exercise. Recently, the disorder has manifested in social media communities such as Instagram and Reddit. Although many studies focus on other other mental illnesses, very few literature seeks to understand anorexia and its presence in social media. This project aims to use computation methods such as machine learning and natural language processing to understand the patterns of anorexia in social media. In particular, it will try to determine the likelihood of recovering from anorexia based on social media usage of individuals with the disorder.