Wellbeing: Body image & eating disorders

BODY IMAGE & EATING DISORDERS

Fintona’s School Counsellor Olivia Smith is a registered Educational and Developmental Psychologist who has over five years’ experience working with children and adolescents, with a particular interest in anxiety and eating concerns. Earlier this year, Olivia hosted a webinar for families on body image and eating disorders and here Olivia shares some of the insights presented to parents at this webinar.

As a society, we are acutely aware of the impact of COVID-19 and extended lockdowns on children’s mental health. For children and young people who thrive on routine, predictability and being around their peer group, this effect is only magnified. It would be of little surprise to anyone that mental health services have been inundated by people seeking support. This has been particularly pronounced in the area of eating disorders; the Royal Children’s Hospital has reported a three-fold increase in these presentations since 2019. It is thought that the combination of isolation, lack of structure, uncertainty about the future and increased use of social media has created a perfect storm, with young people seeking some sense of control over their lives, albeit in a maladaptive way.

Body image refers to the attitudes, beliefs and perceptions we have of our bodies, while an eating disorder refers to changes in behaviour, thoughts and attitudes towards food, eating, weight or body shape that have a detrimental impact on an individual. Adolescents are particularly vulnerable to body image pressures, and the associated risk of mental health problems, including eating disorders.

Eating disorders are thought to affect at least 9% of the population, with only 6% of those with an eating disorder deemed ‘underweight’. They are incredibly serious and can have long term health impacts as well as cause psychological distress and a difficult relationship with food and exercise. Early intervention is crucial.

Sufferers will often go to great lengths to hide signs of an eating disorder. Some may not recognise that their behaviours are unhealthy and can be reticent to seek help. Parents should be aware of the following possible indicators of an eating disorder:

– sudden exclusion of food groups – evidence of ‘bingeing’ (eating large amounts of food in short periods of time) – engaging in compulsive exercise – avoidance of social situations – seeming highly anxious or moody – severe fatigue – changes to menstrual cycles.

As a community we all have a responsibility to role model healthy relationships with food and exercise. Some ways to do this include:

– not labelling food as ‘good’ or ‘bad’ – regularly eating together as a family – refraining from discussion about weight or dieting in front of children or young people – encouraging young people to be critical consumers of social media, recognising that images are often altered and do not reflect reality.

Most importantly, praise your child for who they are as a person, to reiterate that this is what they are valued for (rather than what they look like).

Olivia Smith

School Counsellor

RECOMMENDED RESOURCES

For proactive approaches:

Confident Body Confident Child

(for younger children): www.confidentbody.net

Body Kind Families

(for older children/adolescents): www.butterfly.org.au/get-involved/ campaigns/bodykindfamilies

If you have concerns about your child:

Feed Your Instinct:

www.feedyourinstinct.com.au

Eating Disorders Victoria:

www.eatingdisorders.org.au or 1300 550 236

The Butterfly Foundation:

www.butterfly.org.au or 1800 33 4673