The number of so-called 'pro-ana' (pro-anorexia) and 'pro-mia' (pro-bulimia) sites has increased rapidly in recent years through the expansion of social networking.
The Royal College of Psychiatrists has now called on the government to do more to address the dangers of the sites and to protect young people using the internet.
The psychiatrists have called on the recently created UK Council for Child Internet Safety to expand the definition of 'harmful web content' to include pro-eating disorder websites.
They also want pro-eating disorder websites include in plans to raise awareness of e-safety among parents and teachers.
Professor Ulrike Schmidt, chair of the Royal College of Psychiatrists' eating disorders section, said: 'Pro-ana and pro-mia websites advocate anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa as a lifestyle choice, rather than as serious mental disorders.
'Research shows that, even for healthy young women, viewing such websites induces low mood, low self-esteem and increased body dissatisfaction.
'The broader societal context in which pro-ana and pro-mia sites thrive is one where young women are constantly bombarded with toxic images of supposed female perfection that are impossible to achieve, make women feel bad about themselves and significantly increase their risk of eating disorders.'
The warning from the college coincides with the start of the London Fashion Week today.
Professor Schmidt said events such as the fashion week can 'act as a showcase for underweight women'.
'We are very concerned that the lack of medical checks for models at London Fashion Week, coupled with working in an environment where being underweight is considered the norm, prevents models with eating disorders from gaining insight into their condition,' she said.
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