This report describes findings from a survey of 500 Australians aged 16 to 17 on content promoting extreme weight loss and unhealthy diets on Instagram. The research highlights the algorithmic amplification of eating disorder content on Instagram, and how it profits from the 'pro-eating disorder bubble', making $62m a year from people following underage accounts related to this content.

The report argues that disregard for the interests of young people in the service of mega-profits has become common practice, and must be reviewed, researched, reported and regulated.

Key findings

• One in 75 Instagram accounts worldwide follows someone from the pro-eating disorder bubble.
• One quarter of Instagram’s pro-eating disorder bubble in Australia is under 18, including Australian children as young as 10.
• The promotion of extreme weight loss is a common feature of the social media experience, including beyond Instagram, for young Australians.
• 24% of young people said they saw content that promoted extreme weight loss and unhealthy diets multiple times a day, and a further 23% said they saw it multiple times each week.
• The situation was markedly worse for girls than for boys or trans+ young people.