'Fitspo' content and mental health

'Fitspo' content and mental health

From Health Report by ABC Australia

May 8, 2026 · 45 min

About this episode

The episode discusses the impact of 'fitspo' content on mental health, the introduction of urgent care clinics in Australia, and advancements in phage therapy as an alternative to antibiotics.

Urgent care clinics are getting $1.8 billion in this year's federal budget to make them a permanent part of Australia's health system. We speak to the Health Minister Mark Butler about the decision. 'Fitspo' content that sometimes glamourises a ripped bod or restrictive ways of eating could be flooding your social feed - what do we know about its effect on our mental health? And 'phage therapy' - a novel form of treatment aimed at providing an alternative to antibiotics. What are bacteriophages, how does this therapy work and how far off is it from showtime? Plus, success for Australia in eliminating trachoma - an infectious eye disease - as a public health issue. References: Australia becomes the 30th country to eliminate trachoma as a public health problem Mpox disease epidemiology, vaccine uptake and vaccination coverage in Australia 2022–2024: a descriptive study Hantavirus-hit cruise ship leaves Cape Verde after three evacuated Major budget boost means Medicare Urgent Care Clinics are here to stay Lifting the Screen on Fitspiration: A Meta-Analysis Cross-reactive anti-prophage antibodies and bacterial heteroresistance implicated in phage therapeutic failure

People in this episode

Guest: Mark Butler

Topics covered

  • mental health
  • urgent care clinics
  • fitspo content
  • phage therapy
  • trachoma elimination
  • public health

Keywords

  • mental health
  • fitspo
  • urgent care clinics
  • phage therapy
  • trachoma
  • public health
  • antibiotics
  • Australia

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Australia, Medicare, ABC Australia

Products: phage therapy, antibiotics

Places: Cape Verde

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