This is just a snapshot from the 2023 Body Kind Youth Survey conducted by the Butterfly Foundation, highlighting the impact of body image issues on our young people today.

Body Kind Schools is a strength based, positive Mental health promotion initiative of the Butterfly Foundation, held annually in September, with the aim of raising awareness and addressing the risk and protective factors that underpin the development of body dissatisfaction and disordered eating behaviours. The focus is specifically the call to action of Being Body Kind to own body and others – face to face and online.

Check out what does Body Kind mean https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJ5wsq66O50

Here are some things you can do to be more Body Kind

Better understand social media and its roles in promoting narrow appearance ideals and driving body comparison is a risk factor for body dissatisfaction and people not being kind to their body.
Be Body Kind online by turning off likes or comments, don’t comment on people’s appearances. Even if positive, appearance-based comments, still sends the message that our appearance is important and may actually be praising an eating disorder or a chronic illness.
Avoid using filters and remember Social media is mostly a highlight reel, and we rarely see someone’s worst day promoted online. Remember that the heavy use of digital manipulation, filters or selection of the perfect shot all help to present the version of reality that someone wants others to see!
If you are taking a photo of yourself, avoid taking multiple photos and instead treat your phone like a film camera – one snap is all you get! Photos are meant to be merely a snippet of time and don’t have to be perfectly constructed. If you find yourself taking 100 of photos to get the perfect shot, try reducing this over time.
Taking photos of things that aren’t related to your body or appearance can also reduce pressure. What are your other hobbies? Share this with your online following – not every photo has to be a selfie. Doing so can also give you a break from worrying about your appearance, how many likes you get, or what people will say about your image.
Diversify your feed. Follow people who look like you and who don’t look like you. Follow people who showcase diverse bodies and follow people who disregard editing and applying filters to their photos.
Use the tools provided in your favour. If a friend is posting content that upsets you, use the mute button – they won’t know! Other tools include blocking accounts and using nudges to remind yourself to take a break from scrolling. It’s okay to put the phone down and have a break.

Other resources

For some other resources to support healthy body, try the links below:

School TV Healthy Body series

Butterfly Foundation https://butterfly.org.au/

Talk to someone on 1800 33 4673. You can also chat online or email (8am – midnight (AEST?AEDT), 7 days a week

National Eating Disorder Collaboration NEDC

Body Kind Youth Survey 2024 - Student Voices Can Make a Difference

Butterfly Foundation is inviting all young people aged 12 - 18 to share their views about body image and their ideas on what needs to change to create a more Body Kind Australia.

The annual Body Kind Youth survey is voluntary, anonymous, online, and ethics approved. It takes around 15 minutes to complete and requires parental consent for under 15's.

Help Butterfly help more young people to be kinder to their body and encourage your child to take part. They can enter the draw to win a gift voucher when they participate. To find out more and to access the survey: Visit: https://butterfly.org.au/get-involved/campaigns/bkyouthsurvey/parents/

If you do have any concerns about the wellbeing of your child, please contact the school for further information or seek help from a medical professional.

Karen Surian College/School Counsellor

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