Sharon Claydon (Newcastle, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That this House:

(1) notes that:

(a) eating disorders and poor body image present a significant problem for both males and females in Australia; and

(b) the social messages given to people by their family, friends, teachers, medical professionals and the media can have a significant negative or positive impact on a person's body image; and

(2) calls on:

(a) all Members of Parliament to take a leading role in the promotion of healthy living, exercise and positive body image in Australia; and

(b) the Government to commit to continued support for the National Body Image awareness program.

It is highly likely that there are now more than one million people in Australia with an eating disorder. At the end of 2012, Deloitte Access Economics estimated that there were more than 913,000 people with eating disorders in Australia, and the number was climbing fast. It was estimated that more than 25,000 Australians suffer from anorexia, more than 100,000 from bulimia, almost 430,000 from a binge-eating disorder and another 350,000 from other eating disorders. The numbers are staggering and, truthfully, frightening. Eating disorders ruin lives and, in some cases, take lives. They are not lifestyle choices or diets gone too far; they speak to the state of our mental health and wellbeing.

I am pleased to note that, in my electorate, a new service will commence in the new year for adults with eating disorders. The 10-week outpatient program to be delivered by Hunter New England Health will give patients a new treatment option, filling the gap between the existing options of a one-hour counselling session or treatments requiring hospitalisation. Regional and rural residents often have to travel to major cities for treatment such as this, so I commend Hunter New England Health for introducing this new treatment option in Newcastle.

A major risk factor for developing an eating disorder is poor body image, which can manifest in a number of ways. While body image is a perception of oneself, it can be significantly influenced by external factors and social messaging. Poor body image like eating disorders does not discriminate in Australia; it affects men and women, young, old, Indigenous and non-Indigenous—and that has been a very significant change over the decades.

Mission Australia's 2013 youth survey, released last week, found that almost one-third of young Australians have serious body image concerns. Body image was a top 3 concern for the fourth straight year and for the first time was listed as a major concern for young Indigenous women with almost half of young women affected. Family, friends, teachers, medical professionals, public figures and the media all play a major role in influencing body image, both negatively and positively. Organisations like the Butterfly Foundation for Eating Disorders are helping to bring about change and improvement to practice in the prevention, treatment and support of those affected by eating disorders and poor body image. Their backing of initiatives like the Voluntary Industry Code of Conduct on Body Image for the fashion, advertising, media and entertainment industries is to be commended. The code of conduct was developed by the National Advisory Group on Body Image, appointed by the Labor government in 2009.

Unfortunately, their job of leading change is often made harder than it should be. Just two weeks ago, a fellow member of this House, the member for Bowman, who is the self-confessed 'most innovative user of social media in politics' made a disparaging comment on Facebook about what constitutes the average Australian woman. He claims that he was just trying to 'simply ask a question to promote debate'. Well, member for Bowman, can I suggest that in the future when you want to have a debate, rather than innovate using social media that you bring your point to this House and debate it here. As public figures we need to use our influence for good, both here in this House and in our electorates through our actions and through the media. Some of us are good at this already, but we can all improve.

The Deloitte and Mission Australia reports have made clear the extent to which eating disorders and poor body image are impacting our national health and wellbeing. Let us not ignore the evidence. It is time for this parliament to face the issue head on and I call on the government to assist in this by committing to the proper funding of initiatives like the national body image program. Organisations like the Butterfly Foundation for Eating Disorders are working hard to make a difference and it is our duty to lead debate and allow them to continue their good work.

Rob Mitchell (McEwen, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Is the motion seconded?

Clare O'Neil (Hotham, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I second the motion and reserve my right to speak.

Luke Simpkins (Cowan, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I was drawn to the member for Newcastle's motion, because I think it is important that everyone in this country should acknowledge that they are the one who controls their own health. The decisions that we make impact foremost on our lives. If we eat McDonald's, KFC or Hungry Jack's, or any fast-food options, then that is a personal decision and we can expect that there will be a negative outcome. Similarly, a life without exercise will be a shorter life and an unhealthier life. It comes down to the decisions we make. This motion calls upon members of parliament to take a leading role in the promotion of healthy living, exercise and positive body image in Australia. Having a Prime Minister that can do marathons and triathlons is a very good thing for Australia; I personally will not be able to follow his lead in such events because, after 15 years in the army, my knees are in poor shape. Nevertheless, I agree that there is always a role for us to be examples to others.

However, it is first and foremost up to parents to be good role models for their children. It is even more important for parents to be the lead in this matter—who is it that goes out and buys the food for a home? And who is it that drives the car to fast-food outlets? It is parents who make the decisions on household budgets: fresh food or fast food; wants or needs; even alcohol and cigarettes or milk and vegetables. I hope that it is a rare dilemma, at least for that last question. While some may blame advertising or social media, it is the strength of character of us all that will overcome external influences and win the day. The internal, family influences are the most important factors; they eclipse external factors such as advertising or social media. I am a parent of two daughters, Emily, who is 15, and Rebecca, who has just turned 11. Whenever I look at Emily, I see her getting taller. I call her 'my biggest girl' with reference to how tall she is getting, to which she often says to me, 'Are you calling me fat?' It is a reminder that as parents we must be careful in our terminology, as it is obviously a point of sensitivity with adolescent girls. I am not, however, concerned about Emily's weight as I believe that she eats pretty well. As I previously said, parents are in control. By their example and their actions, they provide that image of normalcy to their children. If a child grows up seeing obese parents, the child will think that is normal and acceptable. If they grow up thinking fast food is a daily or almost daily option, they will think that is normal as well. The same thing goes for illicit drug use, drug abuse or smoking. Children see the examples in front of them and they will mirror those examples. The major factors playing a role in promoting good health are the examples and the actions provided by parents. Parents have the responsibility for providing a safe and healthy environment, and their success impacts on the way their children will then become parents themselves.

On the point of body image, despite setting the example ourselves as parents, and even after setting such a good example, there will be times when, perhaps, we will need to confront our children on matters such as weight gain or even weight loss. We should never say to our children: 'You are fat—lose some weight,' or even, 'You are too skinny.' There are ways to say these things properly, based on what is in the best interests of the child's health. But we should also never walk away from that responsibility. We as parents should not abrogate our responsibility for fear that any engagement could negatively impact upon their body image, and therefore be psychologically bad for our children.

This motion also calls upon the government to commit to the national body image awareness program. All government supported programs will be appropriately examined; however, we remain committed to the support and development of young people. With the record levels of debt run up by the previous government over six years, there are many challenges to be faced. High intergenerational debt should not be a burden we place upon young people.

In closing, I think that social media and the level of immediate communication available to young people sees them faced with pressures that previous generations have not faced as strongly. That being said, the leadership responsibility of parents and families needs to be stepped up. As parents, we must talk the talk and walk the walk—we must buy the right food; we must exercise; we must lead by example. We must be prepared to speak about healthy living and health issues, and we must not be scared off confronting these issues by terms such as body image. As members of parliament, we must be effective examples. But we should not overrate our importance or our level of influence, particularly compared to those in the main position, being parents and families.

Clare O'Neil (Hotham, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I want to start by congratulating the member for Newcastle on this very important motion that is before the House. As a slight point of disagreement with the previous speaker, I actually think that one of the most important things we do as members of parliament is to be community representatives. There are a lot of women in this House today, and a few men—we thank you for your contribution too—who are going to stand up and talk about what an important issue this is and how much it affects the lives of women all over Australia.

As women, we have a special role in making a contribution to this debate. Obviously body image and the illnesses that are associated with body image affect everyone but they very much affect the lives of women. I think all women in the chamber and in the gallery can think about and talk about times when this has really profoundly affected our lives—in almost all instances it has been an overwhelmingly negative impact.

About 70 per cent of all teenage girls right now are on a diet. Probably all of the women in here were one of them at one stage in our lives. It is unhealthy and it is a national problem. For some women we know that those concerns can degenerate, with severe and frequent dieting, into something much more serious in the form of eating disorder illnesses. Women my age have know a handful of girls at school or in other parts of our lives who have had the serious impacts of this, and who have often been hospitalised for conditions such as these, and some of them have lost their lives. So I think to trivialise this debate by talking about meals at McDonald's is frankly offensive.

As the member for Newcastle has talked about, almost one million Australians are experiencing an eating disorder right now and more than two million will experience this at some point in their lives. We know this particular problem affects young people. As the member for Newcastle pointed out, eating issues and body image have been nominated by young people as some of their most important issues—over the several years that this study was undertaken.

We also know that this is a particular problem affecting women. About 80 per cent of sufferers of eating disorders are women and 15 per cent of all women will experience an eating disorder at some point in their lives. This is a profound and serious health issue that affects many, many Australians.

I want to talk about the mortality issues that are associated with these very serious illnesses also. In 2012, about 1,800 Australians lost their lives due to eating disorder related illnesses. To put that into perspective, about 1,300 Australians lost their lives on the roads. When we think about the attention and the discussion that goes on in the community about our road toll and about the government resources involved, then consider that significantly more Australians are losing their lives through body image related issues, we see that those things highlight the importance of the motion moved by the member for Newcastle. It is a silent problem that does not get the attention it deserves.

Where does all this come from and what can we do about it? It is very well understood by people who are doing research into this area that a lot of the issues associated with body image and eating disorders come back to unrealistic expectations and images presented to women and men about how they should look. If you are confused about it, just take a fresh look around you when you get outside this building; you will find that very scantily clad women who are completely unrealistic representations of how women ought to look are being used to sell everything as irrelevant as deodorant to alcoholic drinks to cigarettes and all sorts of other things. I think it is really inappropriate. Close to 100 per cent of the images of women that we see used in advertising have been digitally altered. These are some of the most beautiful women in the world and yet they have to be digitally altered before people like us can look at them. I think it is sick and it is important that women like us in this chamber stand up and say so.

There are important links on these issues to other issues that affect women in the rest of the population. Academics have frequently noted—and I am going to quote Dr Jean Kilbourne—that 'turning a human being into a thing is always the first step in justifying violence against that person'. I remind the House that about 92 per cent of sexual assaults are made against women in Australia. So there are a number of issues that are wrapped up here in how the media represents women. The member for Newcastle has moved this very relevant motion today about how this affects body image and eating disorders. As community leaders we all need to stand up and say that this is unacceptable, and I do that today on behalf of the people of Hotham.

Natasha Griggs (Solomon, Country Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Individuals in our community who have had issues with their physical appearance are sadly, as we have heard, on the increase. Usually when we think of a person's body image for males or females we think of one's shape and size. However, we unfortunately are seeing a broader range of variables that can have a negative impact on the way an individual sees himself or herself.

In particular, in my electorate, the potential for differences such as ethnic diversity, skin colour, religious diversity and the requirement for religious attire affecting young men and women's body image is quite significant. The Northern Territory, and indeed Darwin and Palmerston, is a melting pot of ethnic and cultural diversity, and this is almost always celebrated. But occasionally, particularly amongst our youth, this can be a source of bullying, exclusion and subsequently the development of negative body image.

A negative body image develops when an individual has negative feelings about himself or herself around his or her physical appearance. This can of course develop into some serious wellbeing issues and impacts significantly on one's mental health, to the extent that it can develop into serious psychological and physical issues such as eating disorders, social isolation, depression and anxiety and can even result in self-harm.

In order to combat negative body image in our community and to rid our youth of these horrible disorders, we must work together—government, non-government organisations, youth groups, schools and politicians. We all have to work together for this common goal. The Butterfly Foundation, who are here in the gallery, are arguably the leading body on combating the evil that is negative body image and eating disorders. Butterfly's vision and mission are to live in a world that celebrates health, wellbeing and diversity, and that is a mantra that all of us can aim to live by.

As my community's representative in the federal parliament, I am aware of my duty to promote healthy living, exercise and a positive body image in my electorate of Solomon and throughout Australia. To show my support for a positive body image and a healthy lifestyle, I present a positive image award each year to a local school in my electorate. Dripstone Middle School are holding their end-of-year presentation and awards night tonight back in my electorate. While I am disappointed that I am not going to be there, we have Rohan Kelly, an outstanding community leader, who will be presenting the positive image award to Izzy Jarvis on my behalf. Izzy has promoted consistently positive images and always worked in a positive manner while at Dripstone Middle School.

As I said previously, it is important that our community and its leaders take a united approach towards the promotion of a healthy mind and a healthy body. Another school in my electorate, Rosebery Middle School, along with Palmerston Senior College, is involved in a partnership program with Palmerston Girls Academy. The program challenges the girls physically and focuses on components of a healthy lifestyle, nutrition, positive self-image, work readiness, leadership, team building and emotional and self wellbeing.

Recently I attended the Palmerston Girls Academy awards night, and I was delighted at the incredible results this program has achieved in such a short time. The year 7 cohort had no suspensions, which was just an amazing achievement, and the 97 per cent of the girls involved in the program received positive comments in the school system. This is in contrast to a couple of years ago, where there were 127 negative entries. The girls had very, very poor self-image, were not attending school and were not doing lots of other things. The attendance rates have been absolutely outstanding. In all cohorts, over 80 per cent of the girls were attending school, so they were obviously feeling good about themselves.

I have said that I am committed to being involved with this program because I have seen firsthand how it works and the incredible positive results that this impact is having on our schoolkids in our community. These goals are something that I am confident that our government will support, and I will certainly be showing my support by doing my best as a member of this parliament to advocate and educate my electorate about the sad and unrealistic promotion of body image that is detrimental to our youth.

I just want to finish by saying that at the Palmerston Girls Academy the award for best and fairest was to Lateesha Coombes. The award for best training attendance was to Edna Tom. The Palmerston Girls Academy community member of the year was Peggy Tom. (Time expired)

Joanne Ryan (Lalor, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is with great sadness today that I speak on this matter. I thank the member for Newcastle for her initiative in bringing it before the House, and I welcome the comments from the members for Hotham and Solomon, because it is a most important issue. From working closely with young people, I know the terrible impacts that our society's obsession with a superficial notion of beauty is having on the confidence, self-esteem and mental health of many.

I have seen it with my students and I have seen it with my children's friends. I have seen it too many times. I have seen its impact firsthand as children moved into adolescence. In its least destructive manifestations, it stunts the confidence of our young people. They become self-critical and unhappy, and their bodies can never replicate the images with which they are bombarded. In its worst manifestations, it slowly takes over lives becoming all encompassing, damaging physical and mental health. It is insidious, isolating and intransigent. And it is not an issue that affects only my community. Negative body image and disordered eating behaviours do not discriminate based on age, gender, race or wealth. It is pervasive and it is widespread, and it has the potential to end people's lives. It is not a problem that is going away.

The National Eating Disorders Collaboration estimates that around one in 20 Australians has an eating disorder, and it is a rate that is increasing. In fact, between 1995 and 2005, the prevalence of eating disorders doubled among both males and females. We are seeing an increase in hospital admissions for treatment of children under 10 years old with disordered eating behaviours. The Butterfly Foundation has reported that calls for help to their support line increased 200 per cent in 2013. While we sometimes hear a lot about these issues, we as a community need a greater understanding of what it is we are really facing.

Eating disorders are a group of very serious and multifaceted mental illnesses. They involve disturbed eating behaviours and a significant distortion of body image and its relationship to self-worth. Those who suffer from these illnesses can face psychiatric and behavioural difficulties, medical complications, permanent disability but they can also face long-term social, financial and functional impairment. Of course, the impact of an eating disorder is not only felt by the affected individual; it is also felt by families, friends, classmates and communities. I have witnessed the impact on families and caregivers—stress, loss of income, disruption to relationships and a high risk of suicide. The human cost is hard to watch, harder I know to bear. But the cost to the economy is also significant.

The total socioeconomic cost of eating disorders last year was estimated by Deloitte to be at $69.7 billion. The figure includes financial costs of close to $100 million for the health system and $15.1 billion a year in lost productivity. As you can see, it is an issue that has the potential to harm the entire community. It was with this in mind that the previous Labor governments acted. In 2010, we launched the National Eating Disorders Collaboration. It brings together around 540 eating disorder stakeholders in public health, mental health, education and research as well as the media. Together, they are developing a national and consistent approach to the prevention and management of eating disorders in Australia. In the same push, we launched the National Body Image Awareness Program. The program aims to create awareness around some of the causes affecting negative body image, including the role of the media, fashion and beauty industries. Both these programs reflect the understanding of Labor governments that negative body image and eating disorders need to be a health priority. It reflects our commitment to promoting healthy living, exercise and positive personal body image, and our belief that we, as representatives of our communities, have a role to play in addressing these issues. It is an imperative that the current government show the same determination to act because there is still more to be done. It is vitally important that we continue existing support services, assist ongoing research and ensure the best chance of success: early intervention. The impact of these illnesses are being felt in our homes, in our communities and across our nation. I call on the coalition government to confirm their commitment to addressing these issues and not leave this to fester.

Tony Pasin (Barker, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I never met a meal I did not like. I grew up in a household where the preparation of good food and its consumption was at the bedrock of our cultural behaviours. That was until I turned 13. When I turned 13, my older sibling introduced to our family a significant other. She was slimmer than members of our family and it was only 12 months later that I came to understand why it was that she was so slim. So I speak from a unique perspective today because I have seen firsthand the impact of eating disorders not just on individuals, which others have spoken so well about in this place today, but on partners. Little is said about these insidious diseases, but even less is said about the impact on extended familial relationships, particularly on partners.

I met my partner many years later and, in a cruel twist of fate, she too suffered from issues with body image. So, whilst I watched my brother deal with the consequences of his relationship and his partner's illness, I then had to live it myself. A strange form of pain comes from walking with someone physically and metaphorically on the journey of life and thinking to yourself: 'Do people think that she's so thin because I ate all the food?'

I do not wish to be flippant about this issue. The real issue here is the unrealistic betrayal of body image in the media. Why we need to take some of the most attractive people on earth and airbrush them does not stand to reason. The media plays its role as well. I was disappointed to see during the last federal election campaign that, particularly in the seat of Adelaide, the media—and I apportion no blame to our opponents—seemed to want to frame the debate on a beauty contest between the Liberal candidate and the now member for Adelaide, which was a particularly unfair way of going about it.

It is trite to say that as members of parliament we need to take a lead role on this issue. In this, as in all things, I think members of parliament need to be citizens of high regard. In this way I acknowledge the very real and positive impact that Prime Minister Abbott has in this space. Whether he is riding, running or swimming, his actions lead by example. I acknowledge the important role that family has to play in this space. After all, it was my strong familial links that allowed us to get through our issues. I worry deeply about my young daughter and hope that she does not have to face the challenges that others in her family have.

I also take this opportunity to note an important deficiency in rural and regional Australia. I do not speak for all of rural and regional Australia but I do speak for the people of Barker. The electorate of Barker is 64,000 square kilometres and it has a population of 100,000 people. We do not have a single resident psychiatrist. If we are truly to combat these insidious diseases we need, at least, to recognise these psychiatric disorders and develop face-to-face trusted therapeutic relationships, and those are only achieved by one-on-one intervention by trained medical health professionals. It saddens me that, in an electorate as rich and as diverse as mine, we still do not have a resident psychiatrist operating in the region.

As with all grants and programs, the government will be examining this program over the next year. Our government are committed to a healthier Australia. It is disappointing that the government inherited a parlous and unsustainable budget, due to the mismanagement of others. It saddens me that the legacy of this debt might impact on our ability to deal with this very real issue. The government are focusing on ensuring that Australians are not faced with the burden of high intergenerational debt that was left to them by Labor. The best support and/or policy that the government can give to Australians and Australian youth, in particular, is a strong and prosperous economy that provides job opportunities in a budget that is under control.

Lisa Chesters (Bendigo, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I, too, rise to speak in favour of the motion moved by the member for Newcastle. I would like to thank the previous speaker, the member for Barker, for his comments and note in particular the comments around the election campaign and the apparent beauty contest that was played out in Adelaide. I do not believe that we can apportion the blame to the media alone. The comments of the then opposition leader, now Prime Minister, during the campaign about 'sex appeal' may also have led to the media running comments about beauty competitions. I will speak later in my speech about the need for parliamentarians to show leadership. It is great to see members of the government standing up and showing their leadership here today. Perhaps this is an issue that could be focused on in tactics or in their caucus room—that what we say during election campaigns and what we say in the media can lead to broader explosions of unrealistic ideals, images and portrayal of women in the media.

Eating disorders and poor body image present a significant problem to both males and females in Australian society. We tend to focus on the end of the spectrum which includes anorexia and associated eating disorders, but this is about the other end of the spectrum too—obesity. We need to view the problem of eating disorders and poor body image right across the spectrum. Social messages given to people by families, friends, teachers, medical professionals and the media can have either a significant positive or negative effect on a person's body image.

Researchers from Victoria's Deakin University interviewed 70 children aged eight to ten to identify what body shapes boys considered ideal and to compare those with the body ideals of young girls. My local paper reported some of the comments. The young boys had the idea that to be a healthy individual, you had to be ripped. For young girls it was about being skinny and beautiful. For boys it was linked to the idea of sport and culture. These are the images that young people are led to believe are important today.

Whose fault is it? Whose responsibility is it? Where are we going as a community on this issue? In my own local area, we do not have a good story to tell. A recent report found that Bendigo is in the midst of an obesity crisis, with 41 per cent of people living in the region now classed as obese. This links directly with our motion about poor body image. It is true what health professionals are saying—that, as a society, we need to move more and eat less. But we also need to focus on the mental state—how we are mentally perceiving this issue. The old concept is that of a healthy body and healthy mind. These two issues cannot be disconnected. It is about how we think, how we feel, how we eat and how we move.

We are in the midst of an obesity crisis and at the same time have a growing number of young people at the other end of the spectrum—young people who have been identified as having other forms of eating disorder. What are we doing as a community to tackle it? The findings in recent reports by the City of Greater Bendigo speak about the role that governments can play. One issue I would like to mention briefly is that of play spaces. For children aged over 12, there are very few opportunities to engage in physically activity. There is a critical shortage of bike paths. You cannot get to and from school by riding your bike. You have to walk on a main road. It is simply not safe. The investment needed to address this issue is not occurring.

Our role as parliamentarians is to show leadership. There need to be words and actions that are positive. This does need to be bipartisan. Body image should not be politicised, and any attempts to deliberately be controversial in this space just exacerbate an already known problem.

Debate adjourned.