"As a teenager, Davis was always striving to be thinner, obsessed with tracking calories and terrified to date or be intimate with anybody in case they commented on her body. Even going to the beach with friends was fraught. I'd wait for them to go into the ocean first, because I felt really insecure, she says. Some days I'd cancel and say I was sick."
"Cancelling plans and becoming fixated on changing your appearance or body are symptoms of body dissatisfaction, estimated to affect 4.1 million Australians, according to the Butterfly Foundation. Body dissatisfaction is a leading risk factor in developing eating disorders and can also lead to anxiety, depression, self-harm, lower self-esteem, substance use and smoking, says the Butterfly Foundation's head of prevention services, Helen Bird."
"There's a lot of pressure around summer bodies being lean, having to show off visible muscularity, trying to be better' or more disciplined' than our mates. When I was experiencing pretty significant disordered eating and body dissatisfaction, I was just never present. Christmas, birthday parties, beach trips, camping trips I was never fully present when others were having fun, relaxing, connecting, taking photos, making memories."
Body dissatisfaction can start in childhood and lead to lifelong preoccupation with weight, appearance and avoidance of social situations. Fixation on calories, fear of intimacy, cancelling plans and insecurity at communal activities are common behavioral signs. The Butterfly Foundation estimates 4.1 million Australians experience body dissatisfaction, which is a major risk factor for eating disorders and contributes to anxiety, depression, self-harm, low self-esteem, substance use and smoking. Summer and outdoor culture can exacerbate body comparison and dissatisfaction, and rates of eating disorders in Australia rose by 21% between 2012 and 2023.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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