The online bullying of Jelena Dokic is the kind of thing that fuelled my eating disorder for a decade.

Jelena Dokic has been hammered by relentless trolls while doing her job this year at the Australian Open. It’s what women in bigger bodies, who work in the public eye, have been enduring for decades. And it’s exactly the kind of thing that fuels and reinforces disordered eating, and body dysmorphia in many of us.

Watch: 57 per cent of girls compare themselves to other people on social media. Post continues after video.

It’s appalling that Dokic, a survivor of domestic abuse, and fierce advocate for others like her, is being subjected to threats on her life based on her physical appearance. But beyond the horror she has been forced to endure, what kind of message does it leave for young women and girls watching her masterful commentary during this Australian Open?

That it’s not enough to be a woman at the top of her field. You also have to be thin.

Fortunately, we’ve come a long way when it comes to what we will and won’t tolerate in the public conversation about women’s bodies. And the outpouring of public support for Dokic in the wake of these horrific attacks is incredibly heartening. 

But, she has still had to endure the abuse. And our young people have had to watch as a powerful and talented woman was publicly, viciously, torn apart for the way she looks. The harm this can do is immeasurable. And for those of us watching who are living in bigger bodies, and those recovering from eating disorders, it’s a stark reminder of what we’re up against. Of what we might also face if we climb too high, become too visible and succeed in our chosen fields while in a bigger body. 

The public dressing down of a role model like Dokic is one of the ways that weight stigma works to keep women small. In her book You Just Need to Lose Weight and 19 Other Myths About Fat People, Aubrey Gordon explains, "The cultural mandate for fat people to lose weight isn’t about health. It’s about power and privilege." But if the public response is one of support, one that rejects the very premise of shaming women for the size of their bodies, we can have a real chance at mitigating this harm.

Another way we can lessen the harm done by weight stigma is to unlearn what we’ve too long accepted as fact. Because, despite what some people still believe, fat-shaming doesn’t actually motivate people to lose weight. Instead, it causes tangible harm to those it targets - a harm that then ripples out in the broader population. As Gordon says, "The solution to fat people’s perceived health problems isn’t more shame, it’s less decimation."

Listen to Jelena Dokic's interview on Mamamia's No Filter podcast. Post continues below. 

According to Australia’s National Eating Disorders Collaboration, (NEDC) there is a link between weight stigma and the onset of eating disorders. And this doesn’t only apply to those directly in the firing line. While I may have recovered from anorexia nervosa, the voices are still there. They’re quieter, but they’re still there, and they’re always waiting for opportunities to dig their claws back in and take hold. Those voices get louder whenever we’re faced with irrefutable evidence that it’s dangerous to be a fat woman in our culture, and this is just one of the reasons why we can’t let this kind of discrimination go unchecked. 

Dokic is a phenomenal force in the sporting world, and time and time again, she’s proven herself as a fierce and powerful role model for women and girls around the world. While the conversation should be exclusively about her talent and advocacy, she has been dragged into one about her body against her will. But like the true champion she is, Dokic is using the opportunity to "try to make others feel less alone".

We need to continue to stand behind women like her until these conversations cease to be relevant. The news that Taryn Brumfitt has just been named Australian of the Year, is a testament to this issue’s importance. We’ve come a long way in the fight for body diversity and acceptance, and if we keep that fight up, we may look back and see 2023 as the year it all began to change.

Hannah Vanderheide is a writer, actor, and voice artist with a beautiful baby boy. She's also a body-neutral trainer, eating disorder survivor, and wellness industry sceptic who loves to write about the sensible side of health.

Feature Image: Instagram.