A study found that LGBT people have a high risk of developing eating disorders. This important piece of information is usually ignored as people aren’t comfortable discussing touchy subjects such as this, which is why it is hard to come up with a solution.

Down below, we have examples of people who have lived through their eating disorders and lived to tell the tale.

Uriel Mont/Pexels | People with an eating disorder need support and care to recover

1. Lawrence Smith

Lawrence Smith, an actor and singer, fought long-term health problems such as Nervosa, diabulimia, and anorexia, along with a general eating disorder. In an interview, he shared his pain with the following words, “I felt destined to fail to exist as an adult.” The musician discussed the key reasons that prevented him from seeking help. According to him, Smith wasn’t confident enough to talk to the world about his condition, and instead, he adjusted with the belief that if he stayed ill, he wouldn’t have to interact with the world.

Markus/Pexels | An inappropriate diet leads to eating disorders

2. Jason Wood

Jason wood is a blogger and an office events coordinator who has struggled with orthorexia. According to him, Wood had a high risk of developing colorectal cancer, the same disease that took the life of his dad when he was just 11 years old. To prevent the disease from developing, he created a list of good and bad foods and started following it. However, Wood never realized he had an eating disorder until an outburst at a restaurant convinced him to seek professional help. As a man, he found it difficult to seek help and find a treatment for a lesser-known eating disorder but thankfully, he is now recovering.

Moe Magners/Pexels | Don’t let your mind play games on you

3. Dr. Sunni Patel

Dr. Sunni Patel is a gut health advocate and a business director who suffered from excessive fasting and bulimia as a teen. His issues stemmed from his inferiority complex about how he looked as he gained weight as a teenager. During this period, Dr. Patel thought fasting was the only way to get back in shape and look good but later on, he became a proponent of body image and advised people not to be pressurized by others to change the way they look.

In short, be confident and embrace yourself!