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Catherine Gillespie, Drake University

Being upfront about her sexual identity and her 10-year struggle with an eating disorder is part of what made Abigail Swetz an effective teacher — in that way, she made herself vulnerable and built trust among students, she said.

Until last year, Swetz, 35, was a teacher at O’Keeffe Middle School. There, she made a difference in the lives of 60 students a year for six years, but yearned to do more.

Dear Annie: I want your readers who think they may have an eating disorder to know that they are not alone and that their condition is treatable. I am living proof!

Throughout my childhood, I struggled with my weight and my relationship with food. When I reached the end of high school, I committed to being "healthy." I lost more than 50 pounds by eating better and exercising. What a feeling of power it was to have made such a big and (I thought) positive change.

Demi Lovato is "proud" of her "no-more-dieting thighs".

The 'Confident' singer has previously battled with an eating disorder and insecurities about her body, but on Wednesday (21.02.18) she showed those days are gone as she flaunted her pins.

She captioned a picture of her laying across a garden swing chair: "These are what I call no more dieting thighs and I'm proud of them #thickthighssavelives.. (sic)"

The holidays can be a source of stress and anxiety for anyone. Whether it’s family tension, presidential election fallout or higher credit card bills, “the most wonderful time of year” is often a time of uneasiness. And those who struggle with an eating disorder face an additional layer of anxiety.

The Emily Program, a national center for treating eating disorders, is dropping as many as 250 patients as it shifts its focus toward a more intensive treatment model for people with severe, dangerous conditions.

The for-profit program, which is based in St. Paul and has clinics in Minnesota, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Washington, will stop providing outpatient therapy for many patients who have eating disorders but whose primary diagnosis is a mental illness, such as anxiety or depression.

Kasey, a local teen, would only talk about her problem if her real name was not used. “It grips you, and what starts off as ‘a way to manage your weight’ becomes this scary thing that you have to live with,” she said.

A black hooded sweatshirt that seems to make light of a potentially fatal eating disorder has landed retail giant Amazon in the crosshairs of consumer wrath, with horrified customers and mental health advocates demanding it be removed from the popular website.

The hoodie carries a mock dictionary definition of anorexia in hot pink letters that reads: "anorexia (an-uh-rek-see-uh) like Bulimia except with self-control."

Lily Collins feared her eating disorder would stop her from having children.

The 28-year-old actress became anorexic and bulimic during her teenage years, and Lily has admitted the stress she was putting her body through led her to believe she may not be able to have kids of her own.

She shared: "My throat burned and my oesophagus ached. My periods stopped for two years and my life was out of control. I was terrified I had ruined my chances of ever having kids."

Lily Collins "felt very strongly" about appearing in 'To the Bone'.

The 28-year-old actress has admitted she was very keen to star in the new drama movie, which tells the story of the 20-year-old anorexic girl, because of her own experiences of an eating disorder.

Lily Collins never sought medical help for her eating disorder.

The 28-year-old actress recently opened up about her struggles in her memoir 'Unfiltered' but admitted the first time she was able to share her story with others in a similar situation was when she was researching her latest movie, 'To the Bone', in which she plays an anorexia sufferer.

Diane Keaton became bullimic to "fill a vast hole" in her life.

The 'Annie Hall' actress was gripped by the eating disorder in her 20s and didn't even discuss the struggle with her then-partner Woody Allen.

She explained: "I was trying to fill a vast hole. I had a massive appetite for ... everything. Just wanting a lot.

"I can't explain it - I still don't really know why. But I will tell you why I stopped - I went into analysis with a woman five days a week because it was real bad.

Melanie C developed an eating disorder because she felt she had to be "perfect" to be a pop star.

The former Spice Girls singer has opened up about her struggles during her time with the girl band, admitting her problems were sparked by feeling guilty that she didn't deserve fame and wasn't a good enough singer or dancer because of cruel comments that she was the "plain one at the back that didn't really do anything".

Kesha and her long-term boyfriend are reportedly planning on tying the knot.

The 30-year-old musician has been dating Brad Ashenfelter for around three years, and it seems their relationship has been going from strength to strength as a source has claimed the pair are "very loved up" and has hinted at the possibility of an engagement "very soon".

Troian Bellisario's eating disorder left her feeling isolated.

Although the 'Pretty Little Liars' star was surrounded by a loving family and supportive boyfriend, she admitted that she found it hard to cope as no one could understand what she was going through.

She told Interview magazine: "I couldn't get anyone - even the people who loved me the most, even my boyfriend or my mother or my father - to understand what that experience was truly like for me.

Lily Collins was "nervous" about losing weight for her new movie as she has battled an eating disorder in the past.

The 28-year-old actress - who struggled with her weight as a young girl - had to drop a dress size for her role in 'To The Bone' and was "closely supervised" by producers and a nutritionist throughout filming.

My first outward rejection of the modern ideals of feminism occurred accidentally, during a mandatory women’s studies course in college. My professor had just gone over a staggering statistic that some 89 percent of people suffering with eating disorders were women. “This,” she explained, was “due to the unrealistic expectations placed upon us by the patriarchy.”

I nearly choked on a piece of ice from my Dunkin coffee.

Harry Styles wishes he could have helped Zayn Malik deal with his eating disorder.

Zayn, 24, previously admitted he developed an issue with food, which he called a "control thing", during his time in One Direction and former bandmate Harry Styles said he had no idea but would have helped if he had been aware of a problem.

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: My 9-year-old daughter always has been small for her age and never has much of an appetite. She's also an anxious child. During her last doctor's appointment, the pediatrician suggested we see a therapist about her eating habits. Could her anxiety be why she won't eat much? Does this mean she has an eating disorder?

Philadelphia Young Playwrights' (PYP) new podcast, “Mouthful” is powered by the experiences and perspectives of students. Each week, "Mouthful" explores and dissects a different topic. From a transgender teen to a teen of color, "Mouthful" investigates identity, access, equity and inclusion. From a student with micro-agressions to a student with eating disorders, the series examines social acceptance and social intolerance.

PITTSBURGH — An outfit that fits just right has the potential to empower. But the process of finding one — which often involves sorting through a dizzying sea of sizes that varies from brand to brand — can be overwhelming, particularly for someone recovering from an eating disorder.

Just 12 days after her wedding, Tandi Barron was placed on a feeding tube because of her struggle with an eating disorder. Not long after, she told her husband that if she was ever going to put food in her mouth again, she needed serious help.

The disorder had started in college, where members of the dance team were weighed weekly and could only perform if they were under a certain weight.

BURLINGTON, Vt. -

Some Vermont families are coming out of the shadows to shed light on an issue that is often kept a secret.

The struggle with eating disorders is the focus of a new documentary called "All of Me" by Vermont producer Bess O'Brien.