I was repulsed by food... these sites made it worse
FREYA Chandler developed an eating disorder at the age of 13 after comparing herself with celebrities on social media sites.
Now 15, she said using websites such as Instagram and Twitter made her self-conscious and guilty about eating.
She said her obsession with food started with a desire to be healthy but soon turned into an eating disorder.
‘I was caught up in the “clean eating” fad that was all about a low carb, no fat diet. I wanted to be toned and slim.
‘But as time went on, I was repulsed by food and I skipped as many meals as I could. All I wanted was to lose more weight.’
Freya, from Guildford, Surrey, used calorie counter apps to keep track of her diet and motivate herself to eat as little as possible.
She said she felt she would ‘rather die than eat’ when she was at her worst.
‘Sites like Instagram and Tumblr played on my mind the most because they’re photo-based and all about appearances.
‘And calorie trackers would spur me on to eat less than the day before.’
After losing a dangerous amount of weight, Freya spent seven months at a specialist treatment centre for eating disorders. She was released in July 2014 and writes a blog documenting her recovery.
At her thinnest, Freya had four blood tests a day. ‘You are minutes away from dying. If you don’t have these checks done you really are in danger of dying in your sleep.’
Her mother Diane said: ‘Social media has a great deal to answer for in terms of young girls and how they feel about their weight.
‘The number of ‘likes’ or ‘dislikes’ that you get online can be heart-breaking for teenagers. Calorie counting apps, thinspo [thinspiration] websites, taking selfies –they only encourage young girls to become preoccupied with eating and how they look.’