The Government will dump social media influencers from an advertising campaign after it was revealed that some of the models being payed were promoting dangerous dieting practices.
The move comes after a report revealed they had spent more than $600,000 in taxpayer dollars on the #girlsmakeyourmove campaign in the past 18 months.
The campaign was part of a broader Health Department initiative designed to get young women to be more active.
Tomika Jenkins is paid by the federal government to encourage women’s health on Instagram
Lina Grant (left) and Chloe Ting (right) are sponsored by the campaign. However, experts say the money is being wasted because there is no impact from social media stars
Some of those hired to by the government to promote women’s health were sponsored by alcohol companies, promoted controversial detox ‘skinny teas,’ uploaded photos of themselves smoking and endorsed sun tanning.
One of the influencers paid was Lily May Mac who last year was forced to apologise for a string of racist and homophobic tweets she made in 2012.
On Friday morning she told her Instagram followers that behaviour was behind her.
‘I just wanted to make it clear that that person is not me anymore. I was young and ignorant, really stupid and dumb. It was super hateful,’ she said.
‘All I can ask for is your forgiveness and another chance.’
The move to dump the influencers from the campaign comes as doctors and dietitians warned that some of the content could trigger eating disorders.
Lily May Mac was forced to apologise for a string of racist and homophobic tweets she made in 2012 (pictured)
The Government will dump social media influencers from an advertising campaign after it was revealed that some of the models being payed were promoting dangerous dieting practices
Mia Findlay, ambassador for eating disorder charity The Butterfly Foundation, said that influencers promoted a very narrow idea of what people should look like.
‘(They promote) the very outdated view of health as physical appearance,’ Ms Findlay said.
Mr Hunt said he had told the department to ‘pause and review any use of influencers’.
‘There would need to be a demonstrated benefit and demonstrated suitability of any individual going forward, for this to recommence,’ he said last night.
Experts also told the publication the money was being wasted because there was no impact from the social media ‘stars’.
Some of those hired to by the government to promote women’s health were sponsored by alcohol companies
A report by data analysis company Lumio revealed that most of the followers for the influencers are ‘ghost’ followers, meaning they just follow and do not interact with posts.
Shocking data revealed the health department has already spent $718,100 since 2016 to hire influencers.
Some of the women hired as part of the campaign include Lina Grant who is sponsored by Jacob’s Creek prosecco Spritz, and Chloe Ting who posted videos encouraging fast weight loss and ‘how to grow a bigger butt.’
At the beginning of the campaign, 27 female influencers were hired to post only 33 posts. And since January this year a total of $237,057 was spent.
Chloe Ting who posts videos encouraging fast weight loss and ‘how to grow a bigger butt’