Tayla Damir, who won season one of Love Island, has opened up about her struggle with an eating disorder in an effort to raise awareness and create a wider dialogue around them.
Damir took to her TikTok account to share her experience with body dysmorphia.
“I know I told you I was eating but I was struggling with Body Dysmorphia and no one truly knew the struggle I was going through,” she wrote across two still images of herself.
The reality star continued, “I was starving myself, training twice a day, comparing my body to everyone else, and fighting demons in my head 24/7.”
“My hair was falling out, my stomach bloated every time I ate, I was in pain all the time. I convinced my doctors and naturopaths I had a parasite so they wouldn’t pick up on my body dysmorphia.”
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Damir revealed that she spent “thousands of dollars” trying to figure out why she was continuously feeling unwell. She credited her fiance, AFL star Nathan Broad with helping her improve her relationship with her body and health.
“He made me realise my body needed food to survive. He was patient with me. He educated me. He motivated me and changed my mindset,” she explained.
The 25-year-old said that once she started eating more, she noticed positive changes in her body.
“The more I fed my body the less anxious I felt. My confidence increased. My hair grew. My skin improves. My energy levels increased. My relationships blossomed. My self-confidence was restored. My metabolism kicked in. My quality of life flourished.”
In the last slide Damir said that she still occasionally experiences doubts about her body, but is generally much healthier.
“Fast forward to now and I am my best and healthiest version of myself. I still have days when negative thoughts creep in but I have a great psychologist and a loving fiance that I owe my quality of life to.”
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