Latest news with #KidsHelpline
Sky News AU
03-06-2025
- General
- Sky News AU
‘Keep kids alive': Paul Murray highlights what Kids Helpline needs from the government
On tonight's episode of Paul Murray Live, Sky News host Paul Murray discusses kids' helpline, regional Australia, debt and more. 'You know I care a lot about the kids' helpline, runs all over the country, it is a vital service,' Mr Murray said. 'A vital mental health service that keeps kids alive.' If you or anyone you know needs help: Kids Helpline – 1800 55 1800 Lifeline – 13 11 14 Beyond Blue – 1300 22 4636
Sky News AU
11-05-2025
- Politics
- Sky News AU
Victorian parliamentary hearing into cult groups commences
Psychologist and cult survivor Maria Esquerra has spoken on the 'overdue' parliamentary hearing by the Victorian government into cults and fringe groups. 'Myself with a lot of other people, mostly who grew up in cults, actually … we got together, and we made a bunch of submissions to Chris Couzens in Victoria in the legislative assembly, and that's what's triggered this,' Ms Esquerra told Sky News Australia. This hearing states they are not judging people's religious beliefs, but rather examining groups who harm others emotionally, financially, and physically. If you or anyone you know needs help: Kids Helpline – 1800 55 1800 Lifeline – 13 11 14 Beyond Blue – 1300 22 4636
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Westmead mental health complex construction begins in Australia
Australia's New South Wales (NSW) Government has announced the initiation of the Westmead Integrated Mental Health Complex construction, located in Western Sydney. With an investment of A$540m ($343.88m), the development of the largest health facility in the state will help to enhance mental health services and is expected to be completed by 2027. The complex will address the increasing demand for mental health services in the region, providing a substantial increase in the number of beds available and ensuring best-practice care. The Westmead Integrated Mental Health Complex will feature a range of facilities, encompassing acute mental health beds for various age groups and needs, intensive care and high dependency units, a mental health assessment area, and sub and non-acute beds. In addition, it will offer multidisciplinary ambulatory and outpatient mental health support services. A crucial aspect of the complex is its integration with Westmead Hospital via a link bridge, promoting coordination between mental health care and other medical services, including psychiatric emergency care and the emergency department. The relocation of existing mental health services from Cumberland Hospital West Campus to the new complex will ensure continuity of care, with no disruption to patient services until the new facility is operational. The Minns Labour government's commitment to mental health extends beyond this project, with investments of A$8.2m to support text and webchat services, A$17.1m to enhance the Kids Helpline, and initiatives to address men's mental health and suicide prevention. Premier Chris Minns said: 'Today is a really important step forward in building a more accessible and integrated mental healthcare system for New South Wales. 'Mental health is an important and ongoing conversation. This investment is about ensuring when people need help, they can receive it, in a place that has been designed to provide the best care possible.' Earlier this month, another milestone was reached with the completion of the Tamworth Hospital Mental Health Unit's three-storey building structure in NSW. "Westmead mental health complex construction begins in Australia" was originally created and published by Hospital Management, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Sign in to access your portfolio
ABC News
24-04-2025
- Health
- ABC News
Experts review the influencer exercise and diet advice you followed in the 2010s
Nine years ago on the banks of the East River in New York City, hundreds of women in activewear were milling outside an exclusive gym. Located under the Williamsburg Bridge, the queue snaked for blocks around Pier 36 as women clutched yoga mats under their arms, braided each other's hair and excitedly talked about the fitness icon they'd come to see. Loading YouTube content If you or someone you know needs help: Butterfly National Helpline — 1800 33 4673 Eating Disorders Families Australia — 1300 195 626 Eating Disorders Victoria — 1300 550 236 Eating Disorders Qld — 07 3844 6055 Lifeline on 13 11 14 Suicide Call Back Service — 1300 659 467 Kids Helpline — 1800 55 1800 MensLine — 1300 78 99 78 The year is 2016, and the women have gathered to work out with Australian fitness influencer Kayla Itsines. The creator of the Bikini Body Guide ebook is hosting the free pop-up event for everyone who subscribes to her low-calorie, high-intensity lifestyle. As she walks into the gym, a roar goes up. Itsines looks bashful as she makes her way on stage, with her washboard abs on display in a hot pink sports bra and her trademark running shorts. "I feel like I've grown with you guys," she says into her headset mic. "I don't feel like it's me standing up here, I feel like it's us — together working out." "We love you!" a woman screams from the audience. Itsines smiles. " I love you guys, too. " A phenomenon The Bikini Body Guide was eventually rebranded to Sweat with Kayla and reportedly netted the personal trainer The cover of Kayla Itsines' Bikini Body Guide when it was first published. ( Supplied ) It recommended a diet accompanied by high intensity interval training, and attracted thousands of customers. Despite its popularity, it was not the first of its kind and was not the only ebook in the health and fitness market aimed at young women. Bikini model Ashy Bines published a 7-week and 12-week program in the early 2010s, and health and wellness advocate Sarah Stevenson — better known as Sarah's Day — followed suit with an ebook called Sweat It to Shred It and YouTube content around her diet. All three guides featured images of the women in activewear showing off toned stomachs and skinny arms, with promises to help the average woman lose weight and "feel good". The three women were titans of the social media age, and aside from their guides, slowly turned their success into more ebooks, cookbooks, YouTube videos, apps and more. Two guides released by influencers in the 2010s. ( Supplied ) However, with their success has come scrutiny. Asking the experts The ABC provided the guides and advice content to five sports, dietician and nutrition experts for review. They include: Deakin University Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition Dr Emily Denniss University of Western Australia human sciences Professor Amanda Salis University of South Australia exercise physiologist Dr Ben Singh The Butterfly Foundation InsideOut Institute They looked at the contents of Kayla Itsines, Ashy Bines and Sarah's Day nutrition and exercise guides, as well as some of their social media content. Before: The ABC has blurred images of influencer's bodies on advice of eating disorder experts. . . After: YouTube . . Instructions: Use left and right arrow keys to control image transition Before and after images SLIDE The ABC has blurred images of influencer's bodies on advice of eating disorder experts. / YouTube "While there were some differences in the content, they were all very focused on weight loss and achieving a certain type of kind of thin body," Dr Denniss said. "The information seemed to suggest that everyone can achieve a particular look or a particular body type if they simply had enough willpower to follow the guidance. "We just know that that's simply not the case." Before: Diet and exercise content was popularised and commodified in the early days of social media. . . After: YouTube . . Instructions: Use left and right arrow keys to control image transition Before and after images SLIDE Diet and exercise content was popularised and commodified in the early days of social media. / YouTube Trigger warning The behaviours recommended by all three influencers in the original editions of their fitness and health guides have been flagged by both the Butterfly Foundation and InsideOut Institute. Because of the risk associated with their advice, it cannot be repeated here. Both eating disorder organisations told the ABC media outlets Photo shows A young woman in a black singlet sits on the ground next to her paintings while her cat photobombs the picture. Recovery is a lifelong journey, but across the country, young Australians are working to create open conversations around eating disorders. They warned against reporting metrics like calories or kilograms. Restrictive or obsessive diet and exercise information, images of underweight people, and any advice which involves "cutting out" entire food groups was also deemed unsafe. Butterfly Foundation clinical program manager Grace Collinson said diet culture was particularly normalised and celebrated in the early 2010s. "At that time, it was unlikely that people recognised that much of the information and advice was actually harmful, restrictive and contributing to body dissatisfaction," she said. "People were yet to find the tools and knowledge to push back against a system that only exists to profit from our insecurities." While Itsines, Bines and Sarah's Day have all pivoted their content in recent years to focus more on holistic approaches to food and exercise, Ms Collinson said there was a real risk the harm had already been done. "Research shows that diet culture is particularly harmful and is a significant risk factor for the development of eating disorders," she said. Diet and nutrition Here's what the guides and content had in common when it came to offering nutrition advice: Assigning a moral value to food Promoting cutting out entire food groups Recommending an extremely low calorie diet Promoting expensive "superfoods" for health "If someone were doing both the exercise and the food guides and they were following both to the letter, I would expect them to be feeling pretty hungry," Dr Denniss said. "I would think that it could potentially also lead to the development of an unhealthy relationship with food." Before: Eating disorder foundations and health experts warn people against following advice they see on social media. . . After: YouTube . . Instructions: Use left and right arrow keys to control image transition Before and after images SLIDE Eating disorder foundations and health experts warn people against following advice they see on social media. / YouTube "Any time that there's advice to reduce or cut out core foods, that's always a really big concern of mine." Dr Denniss said food being branded "good" or "bad", advice on eating out in restaurants and cutting out certain things that make healthy foods palatable also did not sit well with her. "Food is not simply energy and nutrients," she said. Ms Stevenson has previously spoken about healing her relationship with food and her body. ( Instagram ) "There is also room in the diet to consume things that you know are maybe high in fat and salt and calories on occasion." UWA professor Amanda Salis said she had varied opinions on the guides, and found Bines' information the most harmful. "My overall impression of this guide is that it — and other programs like it — can lead to problems for people in the long run if they believe the information," she said. "Moreover, in several places the guide asserts ideas that are contrary to scientific research on nutrition." She said it was unhelpful to "vilify" types of foods, and it could encourage "all or nothing" type thinking. An excerpt from Ms Bines' early guide. Dr Salis said in contrast, she thought Itsines guide was well-backed by science. "The Kayla Itsines program … had appropriately trained health professionals overseeing the content of the program," she said. Dr Salis, who runs clinical weight loss trials, said the impact of the advice would often rely on a reader's health literacy and level of vulnerability. Exercise Here's what the guides and content had in common when it comes to exercise. An Instagram post from Ms Itsines. She frequently encouraged her community to take before and after photos to monitor their progress. ( Instagram ) Success through aesthetics Body-checking in advertising material Promotion of high intensity interval training (HIIT) The guides often recommend exercises like burpees, commandos, jump squats and jump lunges. Dr Ben Singh said there were definitely positives. Before: A thumbnail from one of Ms Bines' exercise and diet videos showing her posing in a bikini . . After: YouTube . . Instructions: Use left and right arrow keys to control image transition Before and after images SLIDE A thumbnail from one of Ms Bines' exercise and diet videos showing her posing in a bikini / YouTube "Research consistently shows that HIIT can produce significant fitness improvements in shorter periods than traditional steady-state cardio, which appeals to those looking for quick, efficient workouts," he said. Dr Singh said while the guides had done good work in popularising fitness among young people — including making it more accessible and motivating — there were also downsides. "For the average person, particularly those without a consistent exercise background, the intensity of the program may be challenging," he said. Dr Singh said overtraining was also a risk, with some guides failing to include adequate information about rest, recovery and injury prevention. Photo shows A man wearing a shirt printed with strawberries smiles as he leans against a white wall. Whether you're looking to get the most out of your next workout or looking for motivation to get started, our expert panel answered your questions about exercise. "These programs have participants work up to a minimum of six days of exercise per week," Dr Singh said. "For most people, this is simply not required to improve health and fitness." He said he was also concerned by how it could impact the body image and self-perception of its target market — young women and men, who are historically more at risk of developing eating disorders. "The strong focus on achieving a "lean, toned" physique and "burning stubborn fat" might inadvertently reinforce societal pressures to meet specific aesthetic ideals," Dr Singh said. He particularly noted concerns around the phrasing used by Ashy Bines and Kayla Itsines around "bikini bodies". "The focus on aesthetics can create unrealistic expectations," he said. "Promoting diverse motivations — like stress relief, strength, and improved energy — could help build a more positive relationship with exercise." How much harm has been done? Experts said the public is getting better at seeking out science-backed nutrition and exercise information, and influencers were also evolving their content accordingly. The Bikini Body Guide in marketing material when it was first popularised. ( Instagram ) Dr Singh said it would be helpful if more influencers were open about how their approaches had changed over the last 15-years. "As understanding of health, fitness, and body image has progressed, it may be valuable for influencers to reflect on their past content and consider how their messages align with current evidence-based approaches," Dr Singh said. Photo shows A woman with long dark hair staring up At a meeting in federal parliament today, former patients have told Facebook and Instagram executives how social media undermined their recovery. Dr Denniss agreed. "I think that individuals do have a responsibility [to reflect on past content], but I think they're often the scapegoats," she said. "We really like to, as a culture, demonise these influencers when really, if we're going to hold anyone to account it should be the wellness industry, the weight loss industry, and also social media platforms that propagate imagery and information that we know to be harmful." What did the influencers have to say? The three women were asked the same questions by the ABC. Does you accept you contributed to harmful diet and fitness culture in the mid 2010s? If so, what do you have to say to this? If not, why not? How do you respond to people who claim your fitness and nutrition guides did lasting damage to their relationships with food and exercise? What have you learned over the last 15 years that now informs your programs and business? Sweat by Kayla Itsines declined to comment. Sarah's Day did not respond to multiple requests for comment. Ms Bines team provided the following statement: My mission to help women has always remained the same: to empower them to learn a healthy way of living through food and exercise that they enjoy and can sustain long term. I've always encouraged listening to their bodies and making healthy food choices that serve them short and long term. All of our recipes and eating plans are developed in collaboration with a qualified naturopath and nutritionist. Our approach has never been about calorie counting, restricting, or macro tracking. Instead, we focus on whole foods and a natural way of eating, promoting a balanced and intuitive relationship with food. I have always shared what feels good for me and continue to do so, but encourage women to do their own research. It's been my absolute honour to help women of all shapes and sizes find their own lifestyle that feels good for them.
