Ditch the thin, fit your skin

Eating disorder describes an illness that is characterized by irregular eating habits and severe distress or concern about body weight or shape. It's a range of psychological condition that causes unhealthy eating habits to develop.

But from my point of view, it's not only about eating food, it's more than that. This problem is deep-rooted. It's about the insecurities, the mental battle we fight every day with our own demons.

I still remember when I used to fight my demons. Back in eighth grade, I restricted my diet on two liquid meals and two carrots. Fun fact: I used to think that I was eating healthy and I'm on a diet by starving myself because there was no such awareness of eating disorder in my grey matter. I just wanted to look thin like most of my friends. I didn't want to get bullied because of my body weight. I really lost a lot of weight at that time. It was my cousin's wedding and I had to use a bundle of safety pins for the alteration of my dress.

So, who is the main culprit here? Social media or  पड़ोस वाली आंटी  Who's constant body shaming you.

We live in an era of hashtags like THININSPIRATION which manipulates us for having nearly 0% body fat. With many young girls swayed by Instagram fitness models and the constant pressure of sharing a picture of themselves on social media self-esteem issues are more common. Now days being thin is associated with the idea of beauty ''thin is beautiful'' and ''thigh gaps are sexy'' have taken over on the internet on such extent that men and women barely eat and they exercise much more than they should.

In the west, this disorder is well known but in India, we don't have any official figures. This disorder is an alien for us. This prevents many sufferers from seeking professional help. They are suffering in silence. 
In India, people with mental illness go to soothsayers and tantriks, not to doctors.

This disorder can affect anybody from your 14-year-old sister to your 45-year-old neighbor.

We brush it under the carpet and remain silent about it. Not speaking about it only makes it worse. It's like having cancer and not going for chemo.

I took the first step by sharing my story. Why don't you take the next step by sharing your story?