2 July 2025
The Eating Disorder Alliance (EDA), which includes Australia and New Zealand’s key eating disorder organisations, calls for the newly launched ‘Live Lighter’ campaign by the SA Health Department to be shut down in the face of dangerous messaging for people at risk of an eating disorder.
EDA has called upon Preventative Health SA within the Government of SA to immediately pull ads, social media posts and website content relating to its dangerous ‘Live Lighter’ health campaign to prevent harm to people who are living with or at risk of developing an eating disorder.
“There is a large amount of peer reviewed research available that demonstrates that shaming people based on their body weight, weight discrimination and weight stigma is damaging to people’s psychological and physical health,” said Butterfly Foundation CEO, Jim Hungerford. “This sort of campaign has been proven to be problematic, and in fact to contribute to the development of weight increases, and eating disorders.”
KPMG’s recent ‘The Real Cost of Appearance Ideals and Discrimination’ report, commissioned by Butterfly Foundation, estimated the annual economic and social cost of body dissatisfaction and weight-based discrimination as $36.6 billion and $27.6 billion, respectively. “Campaigns that attempt to shame or scare people into losing weight are significant contributors to weight-based discrimination,” added Hungerford.
Recent research published in the International Journal of Eating Disorders supports the dangerous unintended consequences of traditional anti-obesity campaigns. The study, titled “It makes you not want to eat,” demonstrates how well-intentioned public health initiatives can trigger or exacerbate eating disorders, particularly among vulnerable populations. Participants reported that exposure to anti-obesity messaging reinforced disordered thoughts about food and intensified their fear of weight gain, often leading to dangerous compensatory behaviours.1
Further research demonstrates that simplistic messaging that frames body weight as a personal choice (such as ‘eat less, move more’) does not result in increased health behaviours and instead perpetuates harmful weight stigma.2
“It is very disappointing that in 2025 we are still seeing these fear-based campaigns, when we know that they don’t work, and worse, can cause considerable harm,” said Jade Gooding, CEO of Australia & New Zealand Academy for Eating Disorders. “It is imperative that anyone planning a wide scale health promotion campaign regarding food and exercise consult with appropriate eating disorder specialists to minimise risk and keep our communities safe.”
Eating disorders cost Australia $67 billion every year in economic and wellbeing losses, with 1.1 million people affected. Research has shown that the number of people affected is increasing, the age of onset is dropping, and the impacts are worsening. Every month more than 100 people die due to their eating disorder, and every month 10,000 people develop one.
Butterfly Ambassador and positive body advocate living in a larger body, April Helene Horton, said that: “The website talks about evidence behind these resources, but the only evidence I’m seeing is that this campaign was highly effective at shaming people. Support from clinicians and health professionals doesn’t mean much if those professionals are also influenced by fatphobia. Their endorsement doesn’t replace the need for critical thinking. The comparison being made here isn’t about health outcomes — it’s about which campaign shamed people more effectively.”
“An ad like this can undo years of progress for someone who’s been working hard to accept their body,” she added. “Seeing yourself portrayed on screen in a way that suggests you’re a problem can be incredibly harmful. The stigma and graphic imagery in this campaign could completely derail someone’s body image journey and stop them from engaging in truly healthy behaviours — like nourishing themselves and moving in a way that feels good for their body.”
Research demonstrates that experiencing weight stigma can lead to adverse health consequences, such as binge eating, increased food consumption, avoidance of physical activity, physiological stress, weight gain, and impaired weight loss outcomes,3 while also increasing the likelihood of an eating disorder developing.
“Without robust, inclusive, and comprehensive evaluation, particularly involving individuals with lived experience of eating disorders and weight stigma, there remains a significant risk that such campaigns may do more harm than good, and frankly I have never seen a more stigmatising and triggering title for any campaign,” said Eating Disorders Queensland CEO, Belinda Chelius. “We are calling for greater investment in public health approaches that are non-stigmatising, evidence-based, and aligned with contemporary understandings of body diversity and mental health.”
There is significant evidence to indicate that shame-based obesity prevention campaigns have inadvertent negative consequences, are ineffective in reducing weight, and disregard current best practice policy.
Although the Department claims that the campaign is evidence-based, only four studies have been conducted, each with several limitations. For example, only adults aged 25-49 were included, which can’t be generalised to younger populations who are particularly vulnerable to weight stigma and its associated mental health risks.4 Critically, none of the studies included anyone with a lived experience of an eating disorder, nor did they include any follow up studies to assess longer term effects on weight stigma. Only one of the studies assessed the entire Live Lighter campaign – the other three only considered components of it. They all relied on self-reported data, which may not effectively capture unconscious or subtle forms of stigma, limiting the accuracy of the findings. And the findings were inconclusive, with one study finding that a component of the campaign was associated with slightly weaker disagreement with weight-related stigma in a specific subgroup.
“All healthy eating and physical activity strategies and campaigns need to be developed in alignment with best practice in the prevention and treatment of eating disorders and body image issues,” added Eating Disorders Victoria CEO, Belinda Caldwell. “A person’s health, eating and exercise behaviours should not be assumed based on their size or appearance – health is not the same as weight. We need a weight neutral approach to provide supportive environments if we want to improve health and wellbeing.”
“It is more than concerning that we are again seeing this sort of messaging, particularly as we know that people who are dissatisfied in their bodies are less likely to engage in exercise and to eat well when exposed to stigmatising messaging,” said Eating Disorders Families Australia Executive Director, Jane Rowan. “We need to do better to protect the most vulnerable in our communities, including children and young people who will be exposed to this toxic messaging.”
As a result of weight stigma, people living in larger bodies are more likely to avoid seeking and engaging in medical care, leading to delays in diagnosis and treatment, engage in disordered eating, and experience higher levels of body dissatisfaction and psychological distress, including anxiety, depression, stress, feelings of worthlessness and loneliness and suicidal ideation.5
The Eating Disorder Alliance comprises Butterfly Foundation, Eating Disorders Families Australia (EDFA), Australia & New Zealand Academy for Eating Disorders (ANZAED), Eating Disorders Victoria, Eating Disorders Queensland, and the Eating Disorders Association of New Zealand (EDANZ).
-ENDS-
Media contact
Katia Pellicciotta, Eating Disorders Victoria Communications & Advocacy Manager
E: katia.pellicciotta@EatingDisorders.org.au