Eating disorders effect 70 million individuals worldwide. 1 in every 10 people who suffer with eating disorders also suffer from some other form of mental illness (anxiety, depression, etc.). Suffering from an eating disorder is incredibly difficult. It consumes your entire life. You constantly have the nagging thoughts about your weight, what people think when they see you, what to eat, what not to eat, where the closest bathroom is, the list is endless. It's exhausting. Most people think "Why don't you just eat?" The answer is not easy to come up with. I suffered with eating disorders for 6 years of my life, but I was able to overcome it. Friends, family and God helped me through it, and helped me realize that appearance is not what matters, and I learned to love myself. Please remember if you come across someone struggling with an eating disorder, give them support. Offer to help, offer to listen, be there for that person because it is not just something easy to get over, it's a mental illness that takes time and effort to work through.
