Pinterest helps tackle eating disorders

A social networking site is now helping people suffering from eating disorders by allowing them to share photos of their favourite items, such as uneaten plate of food or very thin people.

A social networking site is now helping people suffering from eating disorders by allowing them to share photos of their favourite items, such as uneaten plate of food or very thin people.

Pinterest is a pinboard-style social photo sharing site that was founded by Paul Sciarra, Evan Sharp, and Ben Silbermann in March 2010.

Earlier this year the network took steps to try and ban 'user content that...creates risk of harm, loss, physical or mental injury' under its updated 'acceptable use policy.'

Since then, the site has become even more popular with victims of eating disorders, the Telegraph reported.

As a proactive step to stop people from being able to search for such images, the site has blacklisted a set of words pertaining to eating disorders, such as 'thinspo' [a term related to 'thinspiration' which glorified unhealthy body images].

When people search the site using those words they receive zero results and instead are issued with the following warning: 'Eating disorders are not lifestyle choices, they are mental disorders that if left untreated can cause serious health problems or could even be life-threatening.