Butterfly Foundation

Body Kind Youth Survey

The issue

Latest research shows that over 1.1 million Australians are now living with an eating disorder with prevalence in young people aged 10 to 19 soaring by 86% since 2012. Body dissatisfaction is a significant risk factor in the development of eating disorders yet until recently there was no national data on the body image experience of young people aged between 12 to 18. This gap was bridged in 2022 with the launch of Butterfly Foundation’s Body Kind Youth Survey.

Key findings from the 2023 Body Kind Youth survey included: 

• 57% of young people are dissatisfied with how their body looks, up 11% from the 2022 results.

• 95% reported some level of concern about their body image.

• Around three quarters wished they were thinner or leaner (78%), or more muscular (71%).

• 49% reported that their body dissatisfaction stopped them from going to school.

Females, gender diverse youth and those in the LGBTQIA+ community reported the highest levels of body dissatisfaction.   Find out more about the survey findings here.

The project

For the third year, the Body Kind Youth Survey is helping to fill the gap in understanding the true nature of body image among young Australians, and will provide relevant data as well as deeper insight into the body image experiences of young people aged 12-18 years. It will also allow young Australians to share their experiences of body image and voice their ideas on the kind of support Australia can provide to help encourage body positivity and kindness.

The impact

The Body Kind Youth Survey is creating an annual dataset highlighting the current and changing prevalence of body image concerns and related issues for Australia's young people. The findings from the survey help Butterfly to further develop its prevention programs and resources to better support both young people and their families. In the longer term, the data is helping to inform key insights into youth body image for researchers, policymakers and education, youth, and mental health service providers.

Ultimately, Butterfly hopes that, with more accurate data, they can advocate for greater support for prevention and early intervention work and resourcing. This will help to address the increasing issues of body dissatisfaction, disordered eating and eating disorders in young people living in Australia.

The issue

Eating disorders impact around one million Australians and have one of the highest impacts on quality of life out of all psychiatric disorders and are associated with high levels of psychological distress, medical complications as well as premature death and suicide.

Pre-COVID-19 the burden of disease associated with eating disorders was projected to cost the country approximately $70 billion. Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, more and more people impacted by eating disorders and negative body image are needing support, with demand for Butterfly Foundation’s National Helpline webchat service increasing by 120%.

The project

The Butterfly Foundation ran their , which allowed them to build upon their existing Love Your Body Week for Schools initiative which encourages positive behaviour changes within a school setting. The Body Kind Families went beyond the school setting, providing evidence-informed information, resources and seminars to empower parents to create a home environment that supports positive body image and healthy behaviours.

The impact

The development of an eating disorder is influenced by a variety of risk factors, including genetics, psychology and socio-cultural influences, like media messaging and the family environment. Body dissatisfaction is one of the strongest modifiable risk factors associated with an eating disorder.

Through the Body Kind Families program, the Butterfly Foundation aims to:

• Equip parents with knowledge of the risk and protective factors of body dissatisfaction and the links between poor body image, dieting and eating disorders;

• Support parents to create a positive home environment for a young person to develop a healthy body image and healthy eating habits; and

• Build awareness of early warning signs of body dissatisfaction and disordered eating and learn the skills to respond effectively.

Learn more