The Butterfly Foundation invites you to Plate Up The Positives.

The Butterfly Foundation provides support to Australians faced with negative body image and those who are affected by an eating disorder. The demand on our National Support Line continues to increase and we are aware of how many people are coping with concern around weight and shape. Each one of us is witness to messages prescribing restrictive diets and a “one size fits all” approach to appearance. We face increasing pressure to look a particular way, and the language around food is increasingly labelled as “good” or “bad”.

For the month of April we’re encouraging everyone to Plate Up The Positives. It’s about recognising the pressure from media, advertising and our own peer groups, that encourage unhealthy attitudes to both the way we eat and the way we look. Too often, we cloud experiences of dining out or connecting with friends because we are focussed on eating the “right” thing or looking like the “ideal”. Whether you are at work, at school, at home or out with friends, you have the opportunity to celebrate health and wellbeing and your intrinsic value.

“Oh, I’ve been so naughty lately.” Or “I shouldn’t.” These conversations around food are increasingly common. It may seem harmless but this kind of shaming around food and weight can leave us with negative body image, which may lead to dieting or disordered eating and these are very real risk factors for developing an eating disorder.

According to the research highlighted by the National Eating Disorders Collaboration, 90% of 12-17 year old females are on a diet of some type and young people who diet are six times more likely to develop an eating disorder. That number increases to 12 times more likely if a young person has been on a diet for 12 months. Nine out of ten girls feel pressured to be thin by the fashion and media industries and 25% of people with body image and eating disorder issues are males.

We are seeing the impact of socio-cultural influences such as media messaging around the “ideal” body type in these statistics. Whilst research has focussed on young people, older people are not immune. There is growing understanding that body image issues affect both men and women of a diverse range of ages.

It may seem “normal” to be on a diet but there are risks associated with this kind of behaviour, including fatigue, poor sleep quality, digestive issues, headaches and muscle cramps. There are also the psychological impacts including feelings of guilt and shame if someone feels they have “broken” a diet and this can lead to isolating behaviour. Plate Up The Positives is an opportunity to recognise the “norm” of dieting and negative body image and we ask you to do something different, to change the conversation and raise awareness of the serious implications of these practices.

Despite the pressure on diet and appearance, it doesn’t have to be this way. At Butterfly, we hope you will join us and connect with one another to challenge the pressure around what we eat and how we look. Make a commitment to move towards prioritising healthy living in a holistic way. Plate Up The Positives this month and make a choice for wellness. Your weight is not what makes you valuable, you are.

Please share this post to help raise awareness – and get friends and family to Plate Up the Positives.