“What I eat in a day” videos and reels via social media have incredibly detrimental effects on individuals. 

Listing, categorising, and describing food options of any given day is widely known as a symptom of disordered eating behaviours. The glamorisation of what one eats within a day has the potential to;

• Promotes restriction, hypervigilance or comparison of food behaviours
• Label foods as good or bad
• Trigger individuals recovering, recovered or struggling with an eating disorder
• Sets expectation of what is “normal” eating

And promotes the ever-growing issue of pro-eating disorder themes of social media.

Eating disorders and disordered eating is estimated to affect around sixteen percent of the Australian population. According to the Butterfly Foundation, around sixty percent of individuals struggling with eating disorders are 12 - 25 years. Further, nearly fifty percent of pre-pubescent girls felt dissatisfied with their bodies. Recovery from eating disorders takes between one and six years however twenty-five percent of individuals suffer from severe and long-term illness. Granted, less than one in four individuals seek professional help and those who do not are more likely to have serious ramifications. 

The accessibility of assistance for individuals suffering from an eating disorder is sparse. Three in five people suffering from eating disorders believe their behaviours are "disgusting" whereas one in four believe they are weak for suffering. Taking into account the accessibility of mental health services across Australia for all populations, the stigma posed by eating disorders and the long-term effects of such disorders, it's fair to say that the prevention of eating disorders is imperative. In addition, the frequency of social media use among young people within the formative years is at an all-time high. We have seen a rise in the de-stigmatisation of certain mental health disorders across social media platforms and solidarity among communities. It is imperative that we continue to protect what has become society's playground by setting standards for how individuals promote lifestyles. Just as these platforms have banned likes, sexual references and pro-ana language.

The Butterfly Foundation
Butterfly.org.au
1800 33 4673

Eating Disorders Victoria 
Eatingdisorders.org.au