Torment of eating disorders, self-image growing

Bad situation

When Wang Li, a university student in Shanghai, went to see a doctor after experiencing irregular periods, the medic told her, "You are just 20 years old, but you have the uterus of a 5-year-old girl and the ovaries of a 55-year-old postmenopausal woman."

Wang, who shared her story at the exhibition of being a patient with anorexia, said, "I realized my situation was bad and I was determined to overcome it."

Her problems began when her boyfriend broke up with her three years ago after telling her, "You are a bit fat".

Wang decided to lose weight, which she believed would help her regain confidence. She consumed fewer than 800 calories a day, much less than the amount required for a female adult's basic metabolism. She also exercised for two hours every day.

"The eating disorder felt like a scar in my heart, and I had to do something to stop it bleeding," Wang said.

Anny, a university student in Beijing, attended the exhibition and gave an account of body shaming and her eating disorder.

"My parents work in the garment business and they cared a great deal about how I looked. They would tell me, 'You look like a meatball' or 'It would be great if you could fit into this dress'. As a result, I thought I might look better if I lost some weight," Anny said.

When she started a diet, she went too far, drinking only water and eating vegetables and meat, but no carbohydrates. "After I ate, I usually threw up," she said.

After going to hospitals, Anny finally took regular meals again. "I now weigh about 77kg and I'm happy," she said.