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"It was something to be ashamed of." Gogglebox's Yvie Jones has spoken about her eating disorder.

 

 

Warning: This article deals with an account of an eating disorder that could be triggering for some readers. 

Almost a year on from her powerful protest speech on I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! former Gogglebox star Yvie Jones has shared how she “still struggles every single day” with her eating disorder.

“I grew up in a household where it wasn’t okay to be overweight – it was something to be ashamed of,” she told co-host Grant Denyer on Hit Network’s Summer Breakfast show.

“I developed an eating disorder quite young and have continued with that the rest of my life.”

Watch Yvie’s powerful speech on I’m A Celebrity. Post continues below video.

Video via Channel 10

Earlier this year, former Gogglebox star Yvie Jones was widely praised when she refused to take part in a weight-loss challenge on I’m A Celebrity.

The segment usually involved each celebrity attempting to guess how many kilograms they have lost since they entered camp by scooping beans into a bag, but as Yvie approached the stand for her go, she turned to the remaining contestants to make an emotional speech of protest.

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Urging viewers and fellow contestants to shift away from society’s focus on looks, Yvie said she wished these pressures would cease to exist.

“I wish we lived in a different world where what we look like doesn’t matter,” she said.

“You don’t know what its like to go through life and be judged solely on the weight that you are, or the clothes that don’t fit you properly.

“I feel like we’ve all been doing so well, and now we’re going to celebrate how much weight we’ve lost and how that’s something to be proud of. I don’t think it is something to be proud of.”

Yvie Jones
Image: Channel 10.
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Speaking on the radio, Yvie said that seeing those scales was triggering.

It took her "back to every single time I’ve had to stand on a scale - at the doctors’ office or a Weight Watchers meeting, at a friend’s house, or in your own bathroom," she said.

She shared that she doesn't see herself as a "body positive warrior" but she wants to inspire others to re-program their minds and embrace themselves for who they are.

"Unfollow anyone who makes you feel bad," she said. "It’s okay to 'unfollow' someone in real life as well."

For help and support for eating disorders, contact the Butterfly Foundation’s National Support line and online service on 1800 ED HOPE (1800 33 4673) or email support@thebutterflyfoundation.org.au. You can also visit their website, here.

Feature image: Instagram/@yvie.jones