A young woman became so anxious about the size of her breasts that she starved herself in a bid to shrink them.
Leanne McKillop, 30, developed such severe body image problems that she became acutely depressed and went through a lengthy battle with anorexia.
She became so ill she had to be hospitalised three times.
Leanne McKillop, 30, became so anxious about the size of her 34E breasts when she was a teenager (she is pictured at the age of 18) that she starved herself in a bid to shrink them
She said: ‘I couldn’t believe how quickly my breasts grew - one minute I was very flat-chested and by the time I was 14 I was wearing a size 34E bra. I hated it.
‘Grown men wolf-whistled at me in the street and the boys at school teased me.
‘It really got to me. I stopped playing netball, which was my favourite sport, when I became embarrassed about my chest getting in the way.
‘I became extremely depressed. I thought the only solution was to shrink my body by stopping eating.’
Miss McKillop’s anxiety reached a peak when she was 14 and she attempted to take an overdose.
A childhood psychologist recommended a course of antidepressants which stabilised her mood.
Miss McKillop (pictured at 17) was teased at school about the size of her breasts and was wolf-whistled by adult men in the street. As a result she became depressed and stopped eating
Miss McKillop (pictured at 17) gave up netball, her favourite sport, because she was so worried about her large breasts getting in the way
However, her apparent recovery hid the fact she had secretly slashed her calorie intake.
She said: ‘I stopped eating and exercised obsessively, thinking that it would shrink my chest. Of course, it didn’t work, but it allowed me to feel as if I had some control.’
At age 16, while she was working at McDonalds, a supervisor heard her being sick in the staff toilets and raised the alarm with her mother.
Her doctor referred her to a psychiatrist who diagnosed anorexia nervosa.
Miss McKillop (pictured in January 2007) started obsessively calorie counting and exercising and had to be hospitalised three times when she dropped to just 4st 7lbs
Ms McKillop started to recover after seeing two friends die of anorexia. She now weighs a healthy 8st (pictured) and is training to be a fitness instructor
Miss McKillop (in 2012) said: 'I took up ballet and figure skating when I was trying to recover. It all helped distract me from constantly thinking about food'
She received therapy before she found a job working in PR in Tenerife which entailed a drastic lifestyle change.
She said: ‘In the beach resorts I was surrounded by beautiful women, so my desire to be thin just became stronger.
‘Mum and dad were miles away, so no one was there to check I was eating properly. After a few months, I was exhausted.’
Miss McKillop was admitted to The Priory for the first time when she was 20 and weighed less than 7st.
She spent seven months being treated for anorexia before being discharged when her weight went up to 8st.
Miss McKillop (pictured in 2007) said: 'I stopped eating and exercised obsessively, thinking that it would shrink my chest. Of course, it didn't work, but it allowed me to feel as if I had some control'
Miss McKillop (pictured at 16) said: 'I couldn't believe how quickly my breasts grew - one minute I was very flat-chested and by the time I was 14 I was wearing a size 34E bra. I hated it'
But despite her progress, she relapsed almost as soon as she was released from treatment.
She said: ‘I even didn’t even want to drink water because I thought it contained calories. My life revolved around exercising for five hours a day and obsessively counting calories.’
When she was 25, Miss McKillop, of Greenock, Scotland, was admitted to The Priory for a second time, weighing about 5st.
She became close with another patient named Paula, who sadly lost her own battle with anorexia when she died two months after Miss McKillop was discharged.
She said: ‘Paula made me laugh - even on my darkest days. With her gone, I realised I had to get better, not only for my friends and family, but for myself.’
Miss McKillop (pictured at 14) has now recovered but her kidneys are irreparably damaged and she is likely to be infertile. She also admits that she will always be worried about her weight
Leanne (pictured second from right at the age of 15) says that she is now just happy to be alive
At 26, weighing a skeletal 4st 7lb, Miss McKillop was admitted into The Priory for her third and final spell - determined to get better and gain weight.
She said: ‘When I won a place to the Glasgow School of Art to study product design, I found a new focus.
‘I took up ballet and figure skating too. It all helped distract me from constantly thinking about food.’
Miss McKillop slowly recovered and, at a healthy 8st, she finally feels as if she has her anorexia under control.
But with triumph has come tragedy - this year another friend from The Priory also lost her fight against the disease after her heart failed.
Miss McKillop (pictured since her recovery) says she wants others to realise just how deadly anorexia can be
Miss McKillop (pictured in 2012) said: 'I still have my bad days. I'll always be anxious about my weight and my body image, but I know it's something I can fight against now'
Miss McKillop, who is now training to be a fitness instructor, said: ‘I’ve already lost two friends to anorexia, and I want other sufferers to know just how deadly it can be. Anorexia can, and does, kill.
‘Thankfully I’m back on track, but my body has been irreversibly damaged.
‘I’ve got the kidneys of an elderly woman and it’s likely that I’m infertile.
‘But I’m just glad to be alive. After attending two friends’ funerals, I know better than most that not everyone is so lucky.
‘I still have my bad days. I’ll always be anxious about my weight and my body image, but I know it’s something I can fight against now.’
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2566520/I-starved-shrink-34E-breasts-Woman-anxious-size-chest-developed-anorexia-plummets-4st-7lbs.html#ixzz2uGvZCIHM
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