Eating Disorders Among Australian Children Almost Double in Past Decade: Support Services

Girls use their smartphones while sitting on a bench in Yekaterinburg, Russia, on May 24, 2018. Mladen Antonov/AFP via Getty Images

A support service has revealed that eating disorders among Australians aged 10 to 19 have almost doubled in the past 10 years.

During a recent parliamentary inquiry on social media, Sarah Squire, the head of knowledge, research, and policy at the Butterfly Foundation—a support service for eating disorders—said there had been an 86 percent increase in the mental health condition among children and young adults since 2012.

She also stated that a significant proportion of adolescents were overconcerned about their body image.

“Our survey of 12 to 18-year-olds found that over half are dissatisfied with their bodies, and over 95 percent reported some level of concern about their body image,” Ms. Squire said.

While the Butterfly Foundation’s representative said it was not possible to attribute the rise in eating disorders to one cause, she noted that there was good evidence that social media was a driving force behind how young people felt about their bodies.

Meanwhile, Jane Rowan, the executive director of Eating Disorders Families Australia, said a survey by her organisation in October 2023 showed that 81 percent of parents and carers believed social media had either contributed to eating disorders or impeded the recovery of their children.

“Parents observe that social media exacerbates concerns about appearance, food, and exercise, creating an environment that normalises and promotes unhealthy and dangerous behaviours,” she said.

She gave the example of a 14-year-old boy who was influenced by social media and developed body dysmorphia and then eating disorders, which ultimately led to his suicide.

In another story, a mother allowed her daughter to use Snapchat.

Unbeknownst to the mother, her daughter underwent a crisis of self-worth and developed eating disorders.

Ms. Rowan noted that there were countless more stories like the above.

“All of these parents are educated, well-informed, and very much involved in their child’s treatment, yet they still couldn’t prevent these devastating outcomes,” she said.

“Parents feel overwhelmed and powerless against the influence of the social media giants.

“They are no match for the advanced algorithms and targeted messages meant to reach their children who have not yet developed the maturity and skills necessary to navigate this online world.”

Social Media Is Not All Negative

While the eating disorder experts pointed out the negative impacts of social media on the mental health of children, they acknowledged that social media also had a positive side.

Melissa Wilton, the head of communications and engagement at the Butterfly Foundation, said there were cases of individuals suffering from eating disorders seeking out and finding communities that helped them in their recovery on social media.

“There is so-called recovery content as well, which can really support people who are suffering from an eating disorder,” she said.

“So it’s just very complex. None of it is black and white.”

Meanwhile, Ms. Rowan said a recent study showed that fewer than 3 percent of people with eating disorders believed that social media actually helped them in their recovery or encouraged them to seek treatment or abstain from unhelpful behaviours.

A woman uses her mobile phone to check Facebook and other mobile apps in Yangon, Myanmar, on Feb. 4, 2021. STR/AFP via Getty Images

Proposals to Tackle Social Media’s Impacts on Eating Disorders

To address the negative impacts of social media on eating disorders in children and young adults, Ms. Rowan proposed the government lift the minimum age of social media use to 16.

She also said the new age requirement should be supported by effective age verification measures by social media companies.

“Parents face an impossible choice: Allowing access to social media and exposing their children to targeted content and unregulated dangers, or preventing access and risking exclusion and disconnection from school and social life,” Ms. Rowan said.

“Government’s intervention to set the rules that social media must abide by if they are to operate in Australia is not only needed. It is essential.”

Meanwhile, Ms. Squire suggested the government introduce legislative changes to impose requirements on social media companies to make them responsible for pro-eating disorder content and advertisements on their platforms.

Moreover, she said there was a need to make social media platforms transparent about their algorithms and allow users to reset their generated algorithms on demand.

“Our key point would be that we want users and parents and caregivers to be able to reset algorithms to better control what their children and young people see,” she said.

However, Ms. Squire acknowledged that it was a very difficult thing to achieve at this stage.