Eating

disorder
epidemic

Pintrest is one of the leading cause of negative body

image followed closely with Tumblr and Instagram.

odays photos are cut, cropped, pulled,

slimmed, shaped, stretched and
numerously changed to create unrealistic
ideals of beauty. The problem is media
creating a poor supportive environment for body
image in teenagers, resulting in eating disorders
such as anorexia and bulimia, low self-esteem,
insecurity, shame and opting for cosmetic surgery.
The media is distorting teenagers views on what
they must look like to be the perfect person,
however these photos are unrealistic, impossible to
achieve and unhealthy. Most runway models meet
the mass index criteria for anorexia and weigh
23% less than the average woman (Lovett, 2012).
These statistics show that teenagers trying to
achieve the medias convey view of beauty can
lead to poor self-esteem as they struggle to meet
the unrealistic image and result in serious health
problems that can consequently be detrimental to
their lives.
The table (below) displays a survey taken upon a
magazine. This magazine was clearly distorting
teenagers views of body image and the ideal
person. The 60% of photos used were creating an
unrealistic idea of beauty for those reading it. This
makes teenagers believe that thee way they look is
not how they should, however what they are
looking at is not what they should look like. This
amount of fake images needs to stop!
Category
No. of
Photo
Cosmetic
photos. shopped. surgery.
Adolescenc
4
3
3
e
Yong adults 9
7
4

Currently the
against Medias
body image, the
Foundation
people affected
disorders
negative
image
(Butterfly

campaign
influence of
Butterfly
represents all
by eating
and
body

Foundation,
2014).
This service offers a national support line, a range
of Positive Body image workshops to schools,
workplaces and younger people. Butterfly also
highlights the realities of seeking treatment for
recovery, and advocates for improved services form
both government and independent sources
(Foundation, About Us, 2015). Butterfly
Foundation supports young people either in the
midst of eating disorders or before they erupt by
educating them through their workshops. By
teaching these personal skills Butterfly is preparing
young people for the inappropriate imagery and
expectations from the media. Through these
workshops they aim to provide strategies and tools
so teenagers may actively support their self-worth
and body confidence. Butterfly teaches student the
influence media has on their body image and how it
can result in eating disorders such as anorexia and
bulimia.
support@thebutterflyfoundation.org.au

Butterfly develops skills through a National ED

HOPE services operated by Butterfly. This includes

support over the phone, via email and online,
operated by professional counsellors experienced
and trained in supporting those affected by an
eating disorder. These skills support teenagers and
address eating disorders and negative body image
leading them towards professional help such as
medical doctors, psychiatrists, psychologists,
nurses, dieticians, counsellors and occupational
therapists (Seeking Professional Help, 2015).
Although the Butterfly Foundation effectively
supports negative body image in teenagers there are

still many barriers. Barriers to the Butterfly

Foundation is limited to big city centres such as
Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne to those currently
affected by an eating disorder, leaving those
exposed to negative body image to eventually
develop an eating disorder.
Many people, especially teenagers can feel
ashamed or their body image and can have strong
fears about people discovering that there not
barbie material. Suffers typically deny they have
an eating disorder (Victoria, 2015). Teenage years
in high school the most important aspect, even
above grades is if you are accepted into the
distorted image of a beautiful person. This
knowledge is astonishing and displays that even
those who currently dont have an eating disorder
can develop one when constantly swarmed by the
negative media influence shoved down their
throats. To solve this health issue, the new strategy
not only needs to support people with eating
disorders but it also needs to prevent it from
occurring the first time and to educate friends,
teacher, parents to be the next support layer to
assist them in getting help.
Tumblr image
influencing
negative
body image
and
supporting
eating
disorders
Health
promotion
strategy
recommend to
improve this barrier
and support
teenagers is
implementing compulsory educational learning on
the medias negative influence on body image.
Initially, this will teach students how media is
constantly photo shopping images, creating
disorientated ideals of beauty, awareness
strategies, how to recognise eating disorders and
ways to get professional help. Currently two
workshop options suitable for schools, these
include an interactive presentation (45 60
minutes) suitable for large groups or the entire year
or workshops which are an extension of Butterflys
presentations and includes discussions and
activities. These are suitable for class sizes or small
groups (maximum of 30 participants). These
programs will help teenagers with:
Understanding body image.
Being aware of the significant influences
that impact the way they feel about
themselves and their bodies.

Building resilience.
Improving body satisfaction by
challenging the ideals and language in our
society around beauty, shape and size.
Understanding the negative impact dieting
has on mental and physical health.
(Foundation, Workshops for Young People in
Schools, 2015)

Weekly Intouch Magazine supporting what you

must and must not look like

95% of those who

have eating disorders
are between ages of 12
and 25.8 (ANAD,
2015)

Students aware of eating disorders and the medias

influence on negative body image can consequently
reduce the statistic on health problems resulting
from the media. A 2007 Sydney University study
of nearly 9,000 adolescence showed one I five
teenage girls starved themselves or vomit up their
food to control their weight. Eight percent of girls
used smoking for weight control (Victoria, 2015).
These statistics will be expected to drop drastically
after the implementation of educational classes on
medias influence on body image and eating
disorders in all schools. These strategies will work
because students aware of the influence of media
on their body image are less likely to accept what
they are conveying because they are aware 99% of
images are fake.
Students will also be aware of
the unhealthy
and healthy look of people
and would be able to
depict what images have
been slimmed,
cropped,
enhance, pulled
excreta. Students
will know the
signs and
symptoms of
eating
disorders in
themselves and
others. Knowing where to
go
for professional help and recognise it in their
friends is crucial. Seeking help at school creating
support for teenagers bombarded with images of
what their bodies should look like can possibly
prevent the number of teenagers with eating
disorders.
From a student participating in one of Butterfly
workshops in schools, the following quote
effectively displays that they are successfully
educating teenagers and developing personal skills
through their workshops in schools. I enjoyed this
workshop very much. It gave me a lot of
information about how photo shop is used. I have
started not being so insecure and worrying about
body image. (Foundation, Workshops for Young
People in Schools, 2015) Another student said It
really broadened and expanded my knowledge as
to how fake images in magazines or

advertisements can be. I think that the workshop

really taught me not to compare myself to others,
and that I should feel and be happy in my own skin.
I enjoyed it thoroughly and was never distracted
(Foundation, Workshops for Young People in
Schools, 2015). These students currently
participating in this workshop show how the
personal skills created can efficiently reduce the
media influence on negative body image. This is
essential to know when an astonishing 60% of
photos were fake in just one magazine.
All shapes and size are beautiful, accept everyone
for who they are
Consequently knowledge to parents, teachers and
family is crucial as people with eating disorders are
often in denial they are ill, thus the realising they
have an eating disorder is not always happening.
Conducting PT nights would be an essential
element in educating parents, family and teenagers
about recognising signs and symptoms in their
children. These PT nights would also develop skills
in how to get help for their children. However,
there is a possibility some family and teachers
would not turn up or none would turn u at all.
Creating ads to put in the school newsletter that
would catch someones eye and possibly creating a
few ad on TV as they do for drug and alcohol
misuse. Furthermore the students attending these
workshops would create these ads not only to
educate other but also educating themselves on
eating disorders and the effect media has.
By Vanja Mason.

References
ANAD. (2015, June 10). Eating Disorders
Statistics. Retrieved from ANAD
support.educate.connect:
http://www.anad.org/getinformation/about-eating-disorders/eatingdisorders-statistics/
Butterfly Foundation. (2014, October). Retrieved
from Mind Health Connect:
http://www.mindhealthconnect.org.au/part
ners/butterfly-foundation

Foundation, B. (2015, June 2). About Us. Retrieved

from Butterfly Foundation for Eaing
Disorders:
http://thebutterflyfoundation.org.au/aboutus/
Foundation, B. (2015, June 2). Workshops for
Young People in Schools. Retrieved from
Butterfly Foundation for Eating Disorders:
http://thebutterflyfoundation.org.au/foryoung-people/
Foundation, B. (2015, June 2). Workshops for
Young People in Schools. Retrieved from
Butterfly Foundation for Eating Disorders:
http://thebutterflyfoundation.org.au/foryoung-people/
Lovett, E. (2012, January 12). Most Modes Meet
the riteria for Anorexia. Retrieved from
ABCNews:
http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/headlines/20

12/01/most-models-meet-criteria-foranorexia-size-6-is-plus-size-magazine/
Seeking Professional Help. (2015, May 4).
Retrieved from National Eating Disorders
Collaboration:
http://www.nedc.com.au/seekingprofessional-help
Training, D. o. (2014, Septembler 4). Health
Education Approaches. Retrieved from
Department of Education and Training:
http://www.education.vic.gov.au/school/pr
incipals/spag/curriculum/Pages/health.asp
x
Victoria, E. D. (2015, May 19). Eating Disorders
Victoria. Retrieved from Key Research
and Statistics:
https://www.eatingdisorders.org.au/keyresearch-a-statistics