Sarah Squire

We tracked Aussie teens’ mental health. The news isn’t good – and problems are worse for girls In a new study, researchers tracked mental health symptoms in more than 6,500 Australian high school students from Year 7 to Year 10.

📢 A new large longitudinal study published today sheds new light on teens' mental health - showing that female teens and gender-diverse adolescents are the hardest hit.

The authors break it down via @ConversationEDU:
🔗 theconversation.com/we-tracked-a...

Pleased that our paper on shaping the narrative on #obesity was among the top ten most cited papers in #ObesityReviews

Particularly pleased to bring a #humanrights dimension that is too often missing

onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....

@worldobesity.bsky.social @oha-updates.bsky.social

The eye-popping costs of appearance ideals - Butterfly Foundation This episode dives into the hidden costs of body dissatisfaction and appearance-based discrimination in Australia.

I spoke on the latest Butterfly Foundation podcast about the impact of appearance ideals and the range of policy changes that could make a difference —> butterfly.org.au/podcast/the-...

Fit or fixated: Could health apps be doing more harm than good? New Australian research has explored the impact of health and fitness apps, finding those who use these apps regularly were "more likely" to have problematic food and exercise habits.

Fix or fixated? I provided some commentary to SBS News on new Flinders University research on the links between diet/fitness apps and body image concerns, disordered eating, and compulsive exercise habits. www.sbs.com.au/news/article...

Cost of Appearance Ideals 2024 Unveiling the economic and social costs of eating disorders in Australia Introducing Australia’s first comprehensive report on the social and economic costs of body dissatisfaction and appearance-rela...

Women experience higher levels of body dissatisfaction compared to me across all age groups, and bear the majority of costs of body dissatisfaction and appearance-related discrimination. For more findings visit: butterfly.org.au/appearanceideals

Negative body image often prevents individuals from pursuing romantic relationships (43%), spending time with family and friends (36%), and giving an opinion or standing up for themselves (41%). Body image concerns have prevented more than 1 in 5 young people from attending school.

Weight-based discrimination has a devastating impact of quality of life and wellbeing, including social withdrawal, healthcare avoidance, and deterioration of physical health. It also affects workforce participation and productivity.

Body dissatisfaction and weight-based discrimination contribute to, and increase the risk of developing an eating disorder, as well as anxiety, depression, substance use disorder, self-harm and suicidality.

Body dissatisfaction and weight-based discrimination are key contributors to the development of eating disorders and increase the risk of other mental health conditions such as anxiety, depression, substance use disorder, suicide attempts as self-harm.

More than 4.1 million people in Australia are significantly affected by body dissatisfaction. More than 3.1 million experience appearance-based discrimination - 49% on the basis of their weight.

Appearance-based discrimination is more common among teenagers, same-sec attracted and Indigenous people, as well as people born with a sex variation, people identifying as LGBTQIA+, and those who speak languages other than English.

It is estimated that each person with body dissatisfaction costs the Australian community $2,685 per year. Women and girls, and the LGBTQIA+ community experience the highest rates of body dissatisfaction.

Butterfly Foundation launched our Cost of Appearance Ideals report today. More than 4.1 million people in Australia are significantly affected by body dissatisfaction, while over 3.1 million experience appearance-based discrimination, costing $36.6 billion and $27.6 billion per year.

How to resist the tech overlords Big tech has now made its position clear. It is on the far-right. Here's what happens next.

The dream of technology is now under the control of men who are vain, foolish, self-centred, amoral, desperate for power, and in some cases openly fascistic. iandunt.substack.com/p/how-to-res...

Great advice Marie

“I believe that online platforms have a responsibility to ensure that the most vulnerable members of our communities are protected. This includes not just limiting harmful content, but actively promoting resources that support those in need of help. As someone who has navigated recovery, I know how critical it is to have access to supportive content and safe spaces, and how detrimental it can be when the opposite is allowed to flourish” Jennifer Hamer, lived experience of an eating disorder

User safety and rights need to be embedded in the design and operation of all social media platforms. Prioritising unrestricted speech over user safety threatens to undo years of progress in creating healthier, more positive online spaces. See Butterfly Foundation statement ➡️  lnkd.in/gEsh5Fj3

The beginning of the end for Meta.

So, let's try doing #duvetknowitschristmas here this evening? People are literally Driving Home For Christmas right now, which MIGHT JUST mean that they'll be sleeping somewhere unusual. 1/

For richer, but not for poorer: how Australia’s mental health system fails those most in need Most Australians might expect more mental health services to be delivered to those who need them the most, which would be many in the lowest income areas. We found the opposite occurs.

Australians living in the most disadvantaged areas experience the highest levels of mental distress, they appear to have the least access to mental health services. theconversation.com/for-richer-b...

Senator calls social media ban a ‘sham’ – as it happened This blog is now closed

Sarah Hanson-Young saying what most people actually seem to think about the social media ban for kids.

"Young people will be pushed to darker spaces on the web and regional, marginalised and vulnerable kids will be further isolated." #auspol #AgeBan
www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...

Got a spare 15 mins? Today is the last day that our Appearance Ideals survey is open, and we’re keen to hear a diversity of views on the impact of body ideals and appearance-based discrimination -> insightssurvey.kpmg.com.au/wix/8/p41195...

Let's Talk Eating Disorders: Support and Resources in Arabic - Butterfly Foundation Anybody, from any mob, can have eating or body concerns. Watch the videos below to hear two mob talking it out.

Eating disorders can affect anyone, including in Arabic-speaking communities — butterfly.org.au/get-involved...

Watching the Social Media Minimum Age inquiry.

This is colossal failure by the Labor government.

Unsupported by evidence, nearly impossible to enforce, riddled with privacy risks, unworkable exceptions, and exposes major flaws in Labor's capability and competence.

Banning under-16s from social media may be unconstitutional – and ripe for High Court challenge This bill may well fall foul of the implied freedom of political communication by cutting children out of large parts of social media conversation.

This bill may well fall foul of the implied freedom of political communication by cutting children out of large parts of social media conversation.