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

According to the Butterfly Foundation, there has been an 86 percent increase in the mental health condition among people aged 10 to 19 since 2012.

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.