Social Media's Toxic Influence on Eating Disorders

When Katya Jaski was first diagnosed with atypical anorexia nervosa at the age of 13 in 2020 she didn't think she was sick enough. A year later, at the height of the pandemic, Katya's eating disorder became so serious she was admitted to Melbourne’s Monash Children's Hospital.

If you or anyone you know has an eating disorder, or if you would like information, referrals or counselling for eating disorders, disordered eating or body image concerns, contact The Butterfly Foundation on 1800 33 3673 or butterfly.org.au

If you need help in a crisis, call Lifeline on 13 11 14. For further information about depression contact Beyond Blue on 1300224636 or talk to your GP, local health professional or someone you trust.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:09):
I think my eating disort of first developed when lockdown
had sort of just started in Melbourne.

Speaker 2 (00:15):
The simplest way that I like to talk about it
is that the genes load the gun and the environment
pulls the trigger.

Speaker 3 (00:20):
All of that diet culture and those sorts of things
that it is only one of the factors that caused
the problem.

Speaker 4 (00:27):
We started our humad to raise the age of social
media decisionship get to sixteen.

Speaker 5 (00:33):
Rob Evans' daughter Live took her own life at fifteen,
which is.

Speaker 6 (00:37):
The thought of having her been in a hole underground
somewhere by herself. And I'll never get those that are
coming words down my head down and scared.

Speaker 7 (00:45):
I'm so scared for we are saying that clients are
coming back again and again and again. Okay, let's look
at that what needs to change.

Speaker 1 (00:55):
We are committed to doing whatever we can to prevent
people getting an eating disorder, but knowing what those steps
are and where that money is best spent, that's still
you know, we need to do more work in that space.