Body Dissatisfaction Starts Young
#ChangeThePicture

In Australia, more and more young people are experiencing body dissatisfaction.

Body dissatisfaction occurs when people have negative thoughts and feelings about their body image and it can be detrimental to a person’s mental and physical wellbeing.  Children and adolescents who struggle with poor body image are more likely to continue experiencing this in adulthood and are at greater risk of developing more serious body image and eating issues in their life.

Young people are more vulnerable when it comes to body dissatisfaction due to over exposure to dieting practices and products, excessive and rigid exercise regimes, frequently expressed appearance concerns and/or strong biases about being a higher weight. Now more than ever, with increased isolation due to COVID, more exposure to social media than ever before, and increased levels of stress and anxiety, young people are even more at risk.

Now is the time to support our kids’ mental health so they don’t develop problems down the track. Without intervention, we’re heading for a dire future. Help us #ChangeThePicture.

MAKE YOUR PLEDGE DONATE NOW

Can you picture a future where young people’s potential is not impacted by the way they feel about their body?

Butterfly can! But we can’t do it without your help. We’re already on the frontline of changing the picture for young people with our support, prevention and treatment services, but we need your help to reach so many more who are at risk. Every child we can’t reach is another child who could succumb to eating issues.

Help Butterfly #ChangeThePicture by donating to our Education and Prevention services. The more funding we have, the more schools, parents, and young people we can reach with free and low-cost sessions and resources across Australia.

Funding for:

• Butterfly education programs in schools & community settings
•  Awareness and early intervention seminars for parents and families
• Free online resources for schools
• Free online resources for families

Together we can #ChangeThePicture by delivering positive messaging, encouraging strong role modelling, and building body confidence in our young people to prevent body dissatisfaction and ultimately eating disorders from occurring. #DonateNow

How do we #ChangeThePicture?

Rewind

Think about what you would say to your younger self. What kind words would have helped you at the time? What do you wish you had known about body image, accepting your body, and dealing with the ‘bigger picture’ pressures that once may have seemed so enormous through a childhood lens? What do you wish an older person had said to you?

Be the role model you wish you had

Children and teenagers are great imitators, so give them something great to imitate! What we say and do in front of our children and teenagers sends a powerful message. You can be what your child needs to see through positive role modelling.

We know that adults can struggle with their body image too! Asking for help when you need to heal your relationship with your body is also a positive way to role model to your child.

Spread the message and #ChangeThePicture

Share a photo of your younger self with a message, kind words or advice about body image that you wish you could have known at that time. Hindsight is a powerful thing, so let’s harness it and ensure our kids aren’t susceptible to the same body dissatisfaction that we once may have had.

DONATE NOW MAKE YOUR PLEDGE