THE internet is a very useful tool, but in certain circumstances it can also do a lot of harm, particularly when young, impressionable people are involved.

It beggars belief that there are websites advising youngsters on how to lose weight so they can achieve size-zero looks.

Oxford teenager Alice Taylor has been brave to go public with her experience of ‘thinspiration’ sites and how they led to her suffering anorexia.

As a survivor of the condition she could have decided to move on, but instead she is taking the time to petition the Department for Education to warn young people about the dangers of being taken in by such websites.

Alice is well placed to influence her peers and urge them to steer clear of tricking family and friends and cover up weight loss.

She is far from alone in experiencing problems with body image and her campaign has already been supported by Dr Prit Buttar, chairman of the British Medical Association in Oxfordshire.

He describes the websites as “pernicious and unhelpful”, and Oxford Spires Academy principal Sue Croft has emphasised the enormous pressure celebrity culture places on teenagers.

Schools can do their bit to promote pupils’ well-being, but parents must also watch for warning signs.

Alice’s petition to the Department for Education may not lead to the instant removal of ‘thinspiration’ sites from the internet.

But by speaking out she could prevent thousands of other young people from making the same mistakes, and deserves praise for coming forward in this way.