Teens and young women who use diet pills and laxatives for weight control are five to six times more likely to be diagnosed with an eating disorder in the next three years, a US study suggests. Using these medications for weight loss can be dangerous and may be a warning sign to consider counseling because there is an increased risk for developing an eating disorder such as anorexia or bulimia, the study authors write in the American Journal of Public Health. “Advertising for these products is common on social media, and the products are easily accessible at local pharmacies and groceries, which gives young people the mistaken idea that they are safe to use,” said Jordan Levinson of Boston Children’s Hospital’s Division of Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine, the study’s lead author. “But this could not be further from the truth. These products are not medically recommended for healthy weight management and can even be dangerous,” she told Reuters Health by email.