'Half of all Aussie women hate their bodies. It's affecting our kids.'

We talk more than ever about body shaming, size inclusivity and the issues of toxic diet culture, and yet according to shocking new research, more than half of Australian women and girls hate their bodies.

Through the Dove Self-Esteem Project, research has revealed that 58 per cent of young Australian women are dissatisfied with their overall appearance and 46 per cent report they are often upset with the way they look. 

A staggering 59 per cent report they are dissatisfied with their body weight and 61 per cent with their body shape.

Watch: The Cost of Beauty Campaign by Dove. Post continues below.

Dove and national charity The Butterfly Foundation have taken this data seriously, launching a petition for a National Body Image Inquiry to kick-start a conversation about body image in Australia. It is hoped the petition can help reveal what changes need to be made, including understanding the full impact of body dissatisfaction, and the role played by social media.

Allira Potter The Butterfly Foundation's 'Body Pride' Ambassador, and host of Mamamia's 'Fill My Cup' podcast, is dedicated to promoting body acceptance and celebrating women of every size. 

As someone who once suffered at the hands of bullies simply because of her body shape two decades ago, she is getting behind this campaign for a national inquiry, because she is desperate for change.

"I grew up being severely bullied because I was always that 'heavy' kid," Allira tells Mamamia.

"It was the '90s and the Kate Moss era, when if you weren't a size six or a size eight then you weren't good enough. I remember being called 'fat' by the girls in my class regularly and as an Indigenous person of colour they also bullied me for the colour of my skin. 

"This all happened when I was a teenager and even at primary school, and it still impacts me today."

Allira is encouraging people to sign the petition as well as consider how they are using social media and looking after their health and well-being.

"I believe that social media plays a huge part in body and self-esteem issues for young women. I feel too that many people lost in-person social interaction during the lockdowns and spent way too much time on their phones.

"Parents now need to sit down and have difficult conversations with their kids about exactly who they are following on social media and if that person makes them feel bad about their bodies.

"It is important for both adults and kids to detox their social media feeds, so women are not constantly subjected to triggering content. For me, that meant unfollowing a lot of skinny white women who made me feel bad about myself. Instead, I began following people who are interesting, body positive and aligned with my values. 

"I also encourage young women to get outside and take time away from their phones. When I feel anxious, I see friends or go for a nice beach walk. Do things that make you feel good in the short term and occasionally just log off altogether. I recently had an extended social media blackout while I was on holiday and it was amazing."

Listen to Mamamia's Fill My Cup podcast with Allira Potter. Post continues below.

Shreen El Masry is a body-positive personal trainer and counsellor who knows just what it is like to feel shame about her body. 

As a young girl Shreen tells Mamamia that her biggest wish was to lose weight and be ‘skinny’ and what started with dieting and exercise eventually spiralled into an eating disorder.

"I remember being 13 years old and going to see There's Something About Mary at the movies," Shreen says.

"Cameron Diaz was beautiful, blonde and skinny and everything I had been told I SHOULD be since I was about seven: Everyone was in love with her. I came out of that film and bought my first weight-loss shake. I began cycling through diet after diet, losing and then gaining weight until I eventually developed an eating disorder after being repeatedly fat-shamed."

In 2010 Shreen moved from the UK to the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney and the 'I Quit Sugar' and 'Paleo' diets were all the rage on Instagram. 

"Eating 'clean' and over-exercising was normal and was reinforced by what I was seeing on social media. I was always being complimented and told I looked amazing when my eating habits were obsessive and incredibly unhealthy. I saw a counsellor, but I was just getting worse and worse. At age 27 I was told I would need to be hospitalised if I didn't get better and that was when it caught up with me.

"I knew I had to change if I ever wanted to have kids, and thankfully, that warning was my turning point."

Shreen says it took years to fully recover from her eating disorder and that she had a lot of anger and sadness towards the toxic diet industry.

"I realised I had missed out on enjoying my life and my twenties. 

"I spent so much time obsessing over food and saying 'no' to holidays with friends, not eating cake at birthday parties or not wearing a dress I really liked. It took me a long time to decide to have a baby too as I was still so worried about gaining weight."

Shreen said that while conversations about body image and diets have moved on since the late '90s and early '00s, there is still so much work to be done. 

"There's been a bit of a shift back when you think about the Kardashians' influence, the return to 'heroin chic' size zero and Hollywood celebrities using Ozempic, and that's sad. But it is also not surprising when you think the diet industry is worth billions of dollars globally. Something needs to be done on a national level to improve the diverse representation of female body types in the media."

As a parent, Shreen also knows that in order for history to not repeat itself, she needs to lead by example and show that she has a healthy relationship with food and exercise now.

"These days I try to focus on the fact that exercise brings me joy – it is not a punishment. I do it because it helps me feel good and sleep better and it is part of my self-care routine.  

"With food, I am very careful with my language around my kids. I serve chocolate alongside vegetables at every meal because I don't want them to grow up to think that there are 'bad' or 'junk' foods. 

"I'm now using my social media account for good and sharing ways to help people find body peace. It's so important that we change the narrative around body image for the sake of future generations. We cannot continue to make kids turn into adults who hate their bodies. It is not okay." 

Allira Potter says that she hopes one-day young women can feel safer to just be themselves in both online and real-life spaces, no matter what their size or shape.

"Ultimately, I want young girls to grow up in safe spaces, knowing that they don't have to change anything about themselves based on the pressures from society or social media. "

To find out more and to sign the petition to support a National Body Image Inquiry follow this link.

For help and support for eating disorders, contact the Butterfly Foundation’s National Support line and online service on 1800 ED HOPE (1800 33 4673).

Laura Jackel is Mamamia's Family Writer. For links to her articles and to see photos of her outfits and kids, follow her on Instagram and TikTok.

Feature Image: Getty / Canva.