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

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 mental health conditions 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....