Beating eating disorders-Kent woman campaigns against 'triggering' social media

WATCH: Sarah Saunders reports for ITV Meridian. She spoke to Vicki Butler and Colette Mullins from BEAT

A fire fighter from Kent who overcame anorexia and bulimia - is helping others with eating disorders avoid negative impacts of social media. 

Vicki Butler from Dartford worked with researchers to create an animation - signalling how to avoid potentially 'triggering' online accounts.

At 17, she developed the eating disorders - and spent more than a decade working to overcome them.

She realises now that during that time , her use of some social media accounts - was hampering her recovery, things like diet culture, before and after comparisons - and sometimes extreme low body weight images.

"There can be some positives, but the eating disorder does encourage you to follow more triggering accounts and relishes that toxic environment," she says.

"If you are getting those messages all the time it's going to have an effect on you.  So just make sure they are helpful messages for what you want in your life"

Vicki worked with the charity BEAT and researchers at Loughborough University to create an animated video - exploring the negative AND positive effects of social media, to help people effectively make their timelines a positive place.

Colette Mullins from the charity explains: "Stepping away from social media is always good if things get on top.  It's primary purpose is to socially connect people and we should use some of those positives more."

For more information about eating disorders and the video, click here.