Over half of teenagers are dissatisfied with how their body looks, with two-thirds wishing they were thinner or more muscular.
These findings come from the Butterfly Foundation’s second annual Body Kind Youth Survey, which shows a spike in poor body image among young people aged 12-18, with social media playing a key role in how young people perceive their bodies.
Nearly half of respondents said their body dissatisfaction has stopped them from going to school at some point.
The survey also found that female, gender diverse and LGBTQIA+ young people were more likely to have higher body dissatisfaction. Meanwhile, young men reported higher levels of body dissatisfaction in 2023, compared to 2022.
The trend of body dissatisfaction in young people has never been more critical to address, says Helen Bird, Education Services Manager at Butterfly Foundation.
“This is yet more evidence that young people’s body image is having a profound impact on every aspect of their lives and prevention and early intervention is critical to improve outcomes,” Bird said.
Body dissatisfaction is a leading risk factor in the development of eating disorders. Recent research from the Butterfly Foundation showed an 86 per cent rise in eating disorders among young people aged 10 to 19 since 2012.
Last year, a report on the ABC’s Four Corners revealed that some hospitals in Australia have recorded an 80 to 104 per cent increase in children with anorexia since 2020. Meanwhile, a global study on disordered eating among children and adolescents found 1 in 5 experience disordered eating behaviours.
Body dissatisfaction can have negative impacts on young people’s engagement in sport, social activities and school.
Sixty-five per cent of young people said their body dissatisfaction had stopped them from doing a physical activity or sport, while 82 per cent said it stopped them from going to the beach, or going shopping for clothes (69 per cent).
Social media is playing a key role in young people’s body image issues, with almost two thirds of respondents saying it made them feel dissatisfied with their bodies. However, most young people said they did not take breaks from social media.
“Unsurprisingly, across the two years of the survey, young people have consistently called for more body image support at school and on social media,” Bird said.
“It’s crucial that we listen to what they have to say, so we can collectively work towards a future of a more Body Kind Australia that supports young people to thrive mentally and physically in their bodies.”
Anyone needing support with eating disorders or body image issues is encouraged to contact:
Butterfly National Helpline on 1800 33 4673 (1800 ED HOPE) or [email protected]
Eating Disorders Victoria Helpline on 1300 550 23
For urgent support call Lifeline 13 11 14