It’s an interesting story that further supports the hidden dangers of restrictive eating, fad diets and listening to gurus, rather than your own body. Let me explain…

Yes, it’s coming up to that time of year again – the Christmas and New Year Holiday Season. The season to be merry! However if you have bulimia, it’s more likely to fill you with utter dread. It certainly did me…

Well hearing that it’s inspired a new stage show called Jackie The Musical, took me on a trip down memory lane. I dug out some of my old covers – here’s me on a New Year edition.

Garcinia Cambogia Extract is the latest fad weight-loss plan that’s doing the rounds. This new weight-loss supplement is derived from a fruit whose rind contains hydroxycitric acid – a substance believed to promote weight loss.

If you suffer from bulimia I’m not suggesting you can relinquish all responsibility for your eating disorder. That would not help you to recover. BUT I do believe it’s incredibly beneficial to take a fresh look at your situation and challenge some of the outside factors that influence you.

If you struggle with your weight and feel the need to diet, you’ll find Episode 1 especially relevant. In the programme Jacques explains the history of the weight-loss industry and reveals the scientific studies that prove diets DO NOT WORK.

Last week William and Kate, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, introduced Prince George to the waiting crowds outside St Mary’s Hospital in London.

And what’s more worrying is the increasing trend of young women who are resorting to drastic measures, including surgery, in an attempt to achieve this look. The Times article goes on to suggest that society’s obsession with how we look is influencing what young people focus on. They explain how,

The media gets a lot of blame for triggering body dissatisfaction, low self-esteem and eating disorders. And perhaps it’s fairly placed when you consider how they bombard us with all those images of airbrushed ‘beauty’ and ‘perfect’ bodies.

For me it stemmed from my career as an international model and the pressure I put on myself to look a certain way. In short, I felt my looks and shape defined who I was as a person and so I became terrified about getting fat. In turn my relationship with food took a dangerous turn and the bingeing and purging became frequent and habitual.

What’s more, it means people with the “right” genetic make-up benefit, whilst the rest of us struggle to fit in by dieting, applying make-up or even resorting to surgery. Just take a look at any glossy magazine and you’ll see evidence of our on going struggle to “fix” the bits we don’t like as we strive to achieve the celebrated status of beautiful.

In fact, given the right conditions and triggers, bulimia can afflict just about anyone. And a group of people that are often overlooked are women in their mid-life, who have one of the sharpest rises (as a percentage) in those seeking bulimia help.  Aging can be a challenge for many women as their bodies change and although they feel young inside the mirror tells another story.

The first time is pretty nasty. After all it’s not easy forcing your fingers down your throat. And then there’s the horrible acidic taste of regurgitated food. But the payoff is it makes you feel better – you tell yourself you’ve stopped all that food leading to weight gain – and anyway, you’re not going to do it again…

It’s a paradox I explored in my last post when I discussed the dangers of a restrictive diet and the similarities between the symptoms of under eating and the side effects of bulimia.

Perhaps you point the finger at your genetic make-up, your addictive personality or some deep-rooted self-esteem and confidence issues that stem from your childhood.

You can’t discuss statistics such as these without taking into account modern society. In recent years the pace of life and change has accelerated to such as extent that it can leave us feeling overwhelmed, confused and even lost.