#58 — Dr Gemma Sharp on Body Image & Cosmetic Surgery in the 21st Century

In this episode of Better Thinking, Nesh Nikolic speaks with Dr Gemma Sharp about the tremendous increase in demand for cosmetic surgery like labiaplasty, butt lifts, boob jobs, etc., and its impacts concerning body image. Dr Gemma Sharp is a National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Early Career Research Fellow and Clinical Psychologist. She leads the Body Image Research Group at the Monash Alfred Psychiatry research centre (MAPrc) at Monash University in Melbourne. Her research broadly focuses on the impacts of media on body image concerns, which can lead to body image related disorders and the pursuit of cosmetic surgery. She has a particular interest in the use of novel technologies, including artificial intelligence, to assist people with body image concerns and is currently developing a conversational agent/"chatbot" together with the Butterfly Foundation. She also runs her own private clinical psychology practice, where she specialises in the treatment of body image concerns, body dysmorphic disorder and eating disorders. Episode links at https://neshnikolic.com/podcast/gemma-sharpSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.