FUTURE TALENTED Spring Term 2019 - Issue 2 | Page 61

WELLBEING
What sort of bullying did
you face?
I was called “fat” and many other names
due to my weight and size.
A teacher implied I was overweight in
primary school in Year 3. I was told to “run
for the doughnuts before they run out” by a
PE teacher in Year 8 and the same teacher
told me, during half time at a rugby match
where I was playing for the school, that I
“couldn’t run”.
How did this change how you felt
about your body?
The key word here is uncomfortable. I felt so
uncomfortable that losing weight for me was a
matter of gaining the ability to feel comfortable
again. This is my biggest learning from coming
out of anorexia. No matter what weight you are,
what you look like, how skilled you are, how much
money you have – comfort comes from within.
At what point did over-exercising
become an obsession?
I got into running and swimming when I moved
house in Year 9. Within five months, I had lost
almost three stone. Anorexia is like a shadow that
you can’t escape. It consumes your entire life. At
the start, I was so determined to prove everyone
wrong that exercising felt great. But, as time went
on, I cut out more and more food and added
more exercise to my routine.
As I moved into Year 11, the stress I had been
putting on my body became clearer. I was
struggling to walk to school. Finally, I went to see
my GP. After some convincing, he referred me to
the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services
where I sought professional help.
I initially refused to be weighed or have my
heart rate and blood pressure measured, because
I was so scared. It wasn’t good news. My weight,
heart rate and blood pressure were all seriously
low and when I asked the nurse if I was going to
die, she said: “We need to speak with your dad.”
What steps did you take to
get well?
Anorexia makes you lose touch with reality
and yourself. It got to the point where I
refused to take vitamin tablets because I was
scared of the amount of calories in them.
I quickly realised that the determination,
discipline and drive I had to cut out food
and exercise intensely was a blessing in
disguise. It was about flicking the switch
in my head. Instead of deploying so
25 13
up to 25% of
people in the UK
are affected by
eating disorders
years old: the average
age at which boys are
admitted to hospital
with an eating disorder
1.25 MILLION
people in the UK have an eating disorder
(according to charity Beat Eating disorders)
much focus and energy on negative behaviours,
I pledged to use the same determination to get
myself out of anorexia.
How can schools help young people
with eating disorders?
Physical health education and mental health
education are of equal importance. We should
be dedicating time and resources to empowering
– not just teaching – the younger generation to
build self-awareness and equip them with the
necessary tools to develop themselves and to
deal with challenges in life. This is a ‘must have’ on
the curriculum. It’s an investment in the prosperity
of the next generation.
What advice would you give a young
person with an eating disorder?
Don’t be afraid to speak out and share your true
thoughts with a trusted family member, friend or
whoever you feel comfortable talking to.
Expressing your thoughts and feelings will help
you untangle everything and break down your
challenges into smaller elements so you can
attack them one by one.
RESOURCES
For advice on helping young
people with eating disorders, visit:
• Anorexia and Bulimia Care
anorexiabulimiacare.org.uk
• Beat Eating disorders
beateatingdisorders.org.uk
FUTURE TALENT // 61