REGINA – In a society obsessed with appearance and weight, some students simply don’t fit in if they’re overweight.
Case and point, Jessica Bonish. She struggled with anorexia for two years. She became obsessed with what and how much she ate, and worked out excessively.
“I had to exercise a lot, even if I was sick,” said Bonish.
She’s not alone, one in five girls struggle with an eating disorder.
“Low self-esteem, body image issues, and what young women experience growing up within or outside her family,” said Todd Sojonky, Registered Doctoral Physiologist.
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The idea that people would decide to do this to themselves is part of the stigma around eating disorders.
“It’s not a choice, it’s not something someone chooses to do to prove a point,” said Sojonky. “It’s a mental illness that is extremely serious, but treatable.”
“This is a disorder that often requires close collaboration between physical health providers and mental health providers,” said Kathy Willerth, with the Ministry of Health.
Mental health services are offered in all regional health authorities across the province. They would help develop treatment goals.
And after an intensive hospital treatment program, Bonish is walking down the path of recovery.
“I’m in a better position now to recognize those behaviors and thoughts as eating disorder thoughts,” she said.
She still struggles, but is proud with how far she’s come in just 20 months.
“There isn’t a right body weight, we’re all different and it’s okay to look different and be different,” said Sojonky.
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