Megan Jayne Crabbe on recovering from anorexia and embracing body positivity

Megan Jayne Crabbe, 31, the body-positive writer, has described her recovery from anorexia nervosa and body dysmorphia and a transformation she says goes beyond the physical: “My ‘before’ was trying to make myself as small as possible in every conceivable way… My ‘after’ is allowing myself to be my biggest self, however that looks.” Crabbe says she became aware of diets before she turned 10 and that the fixation intensified in puberty, leading her to eat as little as possible to manage anxiety.

At 14 she was diagnosed with anorexia nervosa and body dysmorphia and hid how unwell she was until physical symptoms became impossible to ignore, including “severe fatigue, low blood pressure, hearing loss and dizziness” and increased body hair as her body tried to keep warm. She spent several months between mental health facilities and hospital and at her lowest point was hospitalised and fed through a tube; she describes having control taken away as “torturous.” A turning point came when her father broke down in tears, which she says jolted her into committing to recovery.

She covered mirrors, ate meals alone and by 17 was declared recovered, though she says she then fell back into diet culture and only began to change course at 21 after crash dieting to a “goal weight” and still hating her appearance.

Key Topics

Health, Megan Jayne Crabbe, Anorexia Nervosa, Body Dysmorphia, Body Positivity, Little Mix