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Melanie Murphy has penned the most moving open letter in honour of eating disorder awareness week.

The author shared a photo of her taken during a recovery relapse during early 2013 and a more recent photo.

Melanie may look perfectly happy and healthy in both photos, but the YouTuber opened up about the reality of living with an eating disorder, stressing the fact that just because someone looks ‘perfect’ doesn’t mean they’re struggling.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Melanie Murphy (@melaniiemurphy) on

She explained that she was struggling with her mental health when the first photo was taken: “My mental state was on the floor and I constantly felt like I had to hide it because I felt ashamed.

“I’d over-exercise in my bedroom, in secret. I’d scrape food into the bin when people weren’t looking. I’d binge when alone and then hide all the wrappers & brush my teeth. I’d made a lot of progress talking to a specialist during my final year at uni but I was still binge eating/restricting when stressed,” she continued.

“I’d dealt with orthorexia and I thought I’d broken up with binge eating, but I was mistaken. The road to recovery wasn’t linear, it rarely is! I was all over the place because of what I’d put my body through, and I felt tired,” Melanie explained.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Melanie Murphy (@melaniiemurphy) on

The Internet star revealed her nails and hair became thinner and more brittle. She was constantly breaking out and had little energy.

“My mind was a literal battlefield, and yet I was a ‘healthy bmi’…that’s when I realized there are exceptions to the rules doctors have for measuring health, and that there’s this big gap between recovery and full-blown eating disorder where a lot of us need to chill out for a while while we gather our bearings,” she explained.

Melanie said she wanted to share her story to highlight the fact that a lot of people who are struggling right now might not be underweight, or overweight.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Melanie Murphy (@melaniiemurphy) on

“They might look completely healthy while their body masks the truth of their illness, and just because someone isn’t very obviously wasting away, that doesn’t mean their illness is less serious,” she stressed.

Melanie explained that an eating disorder isn’t define by a physical size, “It’s defined by a person’s mind: their self-image, their inability to let go of control, their obsession.”

She encouraged her followers to look out for signs in those you love like social social withdrawal, obsessive rituals, deceptive behavior around food, continual denial of hunger, increased preoccupation with body shape or appearance, low self esteem, anxiety around meal times.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Melanie Murphy (@melaniiemurphy) on

“I learned from my setbacks, I WANTED recovery, and if you do too, you’ll get there…you will do what it takes. I believe in you,” Melanie concluded.

We all know that Instagram is full of the highlights of people’s lives. We share photos of ourselves smiling without a hair out of place or flawless and perfectly edited snaps from holidays.

As we scroll through our feeds we are met with dozens of smiling faces but it’s important to remember that there is so much more to someone’s life than the content they post on Instagram.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Melanie Murphy (@melaniiemurphy) on

We need more posts like Melanie’s honest and eye-opening open letter. We should use this platform to raise awareness about disorders, to remind people that will get through the dark times in their lives and to show others that this too shall pass.

Is it time to give up on posting snaps of your brunch, sunsets and the new pair of sunglasses you bought for your trip to Rome? I think so. Maybe it is time to use Instagram in a more encouraging and empowering way, just like Melanie did.

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It's Eating Disorder Awareness Week, and to mark it's passing, celebrities and influencers alike have been bravely sharing their stories of struggling with food, body image and disordered thinking. 

Irish model, influencer and healthy living advocate Roz Purcell has taken to Instagram to share a message of support for her followers struggling with how their view their bodies, and detailed her own story of disordered eating. Roz added a side by side image of her figure a number of years ago, alongside an image of her now. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by ROZ PURCELL (@rozannapurcell) on

'The girl on the left looked at her body as something that was purely for show never once did I think how well my body held all my organs in place or was in anyway grateful for my health,' she wrote in the caption.

'I resented it, I punished it, binged, threw up, purged, on repeat, while pretending everything was fine. I used to always just think this was me, this was just how I would always be towards my body and food……but thankfully that's just not true.'

'I feel sad looking back, I wasted so many years putting myself down, missing opportunities and worst of all not being me around my friends and family.'

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by ROZ PURCELL (@rozannapurcell) on

Roz opened up further to her followers, saying that she sought therapy in order to regain a sense of autonomy over her body.

'Reaching out for help through therapy, it made me realise how lucky I was and how important it was for me to change and start being me again.'

'And I hope this week has brought some awareness and help to those who need it. I wish I could go back and talk to my younger self sometimes, but I can't & I guess that's why it's good to talk about it now so maybe even one person will go ask for help.'

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by ROZ PURCELL (@rozannapurcell) on

We're certain that Roz's honesty with her following will help spo ,many people out there who are struggling. 

If you or someone you know is having difficulty with and eating disorder, contact BodyWhys as Roz reccommends, on 1890200444. 

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This year's season of Dancing On Ice has heavily focused on the relationship between professional figure skater Vanessa Bauer and her skating partner Wes Nelson, following a post made about Vanessa by Wes' girlfriend Megan Barton-Hanson, and Megan and Wes' subsequent break up.

The 21-year-old's Instagram is mostly dedicated to her behind the scenes antics, and sharing words of pride about her skating. 

However, Vanessa just opened up further about the pressures she felt growing up, and how certain comments, combined with her circumstances, saw her fall prey to a destructive eating disorder. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Vanessa Bauer (@vanessabauer_skates) on

Sharing a gorgeous picture of herself posing in underwear, she wrote: 'Before I started shows I would have never thought I’d be comfortable in front of the camera in a bikini or much less in underwear!'

'Every day I was told I am too fat (which I wasn’t!) and it did nothing but making my confidence shrink into nothing! At 13, when my skating career started to take off, circumstances, comments and many voices made me fall into a combination of eating disorders.'

'Completely ASHAMED and always wanting to be the best in everything I did, I hid my struggles – for 4 years.' Appearing as the strong Vanessa nobody would have EVER thought of my mental health issues. 4 years later, I could not handle the pressure anymore. I fell into depressions on top of my eating disorders.'

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Vanessa Bauer (@vanessabauer_skates) on

 

Vanessa explained that her skating coach did not want to help her, nor was she offered any support:  'My coach found out about my MENTAL HEALTH SITUATION and didn’t want to have anything to do with the girl who ended up in psychological therapy !! It was the most devastating years of my life but I still managed to hide the whole situation from everybody around me,' she continued. 

'I CONTINUED TO EXCEL at school and appeared STRONG until nobody was around. I had my therapist to vent and that was it. I thought I FAILED and it was my very own fault that I got these mental health issues.'

I was embarrassed at myself and thought these years were a period I will always have to hide because it shows a WEAK SIDE of me.'

However, the skater concluded that she knew her true love in life was skating, and she needed to be healthy and well to keep that as a part of her life. 

She added: 'I have fallen in love with taking care of my body and I'm still working on my mind.'

'If you are struggling SEEK HELP. Admitting, accepting and sharing are the first steps to recovery. You're not alone.'

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Hashtags which might be promoting eating disorders on Instagram have now been placed on an 'unsearchables' list following an investigation.

It was discovered that users of the photo-sharing network were bypassing the platform's filters, and health warnings have since been added to several spellings or terms which reference eating disorders.

Many of these terms are popular hashtags on Instagram's platform, but if they are on the 'unsearchables' list then zero results will come up.

Since 2012, the site began making some terms unsearchable in an effort to avoid users being able to locate often upsetting graphic images and posts which encouraged the idea that eating disorders were part of a lifestyle rather than a mental disorder.

However, BBC Trending claim that certain terms are still searchable, include ones which promote bulimia, and that Instagram's search bars suggest different terminology and spellings for terms glamorising eating disorders.

The search box offered a shocking 38 alternative spellings in one such instance for a popular term promoting the disorders.

Instagram has now made several alternative terms unsearchable and have added many to the list of terms triggering the health warning. They also have said they will continue to attempt to restrict such content.

A spokesman on their behalf commented that;

"We do not tolerate content that encourages eating disorders and we use powerful tools and technologies – including in-app reporting and machine learning – to help identify and remove it," 

"However, we recognise this is a complex issue and we want people struggling with their mental health to be able to access support on Instagram when and where they need it."

"We, therefore, go beyond simply removing content and hashtags and take a holistic approach by offering people looking at or posting certain content the option to access tips and support, talk to a friend, or reach out directly" to support groups.

Social networks have begun to censor content which could possibly encourage eating disorders, yet many people online discovered a way to navigate around the filters through deliberately misspelled hashtags.

Instagram and most popular sites don't use moderators to proactively search for dangerous content, and relies on users alone to report violations of its rules.

Algorithms fail to detect the difference between positive and harmful content, and then offer advertising and suggested sites which are promoting an unhealthy mental health disorder.

Eating disorder charities are demanding that ocial media networks take more responsibility for policing their content.

Certain sites online and Instagram pages are supportive for survivors of eating disorders, and there is an argument that removing posts could cease discussions surrounding eating disorders, which is important.

The rules of Instagram prohibit posts which promote or glorify eating disorders, but the company has a long way to go to develop its safety policies.

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The I'm A Celebrity jungle is a great place to open up.

The famous faces have hours to chat about life and what has brought them Down Under. 

So we wonder if James McVey from The Vamps will open up about his previous battle with food.

The musician revealed to the Mirror about his private struggle with an eating disorder. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by James McVey (@jamesmcvey) on

Opening up about his struggle with food and body image, the guitarist said it had all began when he was overweight as a child.

As James grew he admitted that he developed a “negative relationship” with food which led to him being "stick thin." 

But the 24-year-old didn't realise just how small his frame had been.

 “Fans always send me pictures from years ago and I’m stick thin, and I didn’t realise back then just how thin I was," he said.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by James McVey (@jamesmcvey) on

“I was ill and I looked ill. I’m happy that now I’ve come full circle and see food as a positive."

“I don’t want to belittle other people who have anorexia, but I think I definitely had a negative relationship with food in those early days. I was obsessed with food," he explained. 

Thankfully, James is on the road to mending his relationship with food. 

“It’s now about building muscle and getting leaner. You need to eat more of the good things,” he said.

Recently, James' fans haven't been too happy with his treatment in the camp.

The 24-year-old missed out on a care package and his followers felt like he wasn't been given enough air time.

We definitely wouldn't mind seeing more of James' face on our screens. 

Fair play to James for bravely opening up about his battle with food and if you're struggling with an eating disorder, you can find help here. 

The helplines for ROI is 1890 200 444 and for the UK: Adult Helpline: 0808 801 0677, student line: 0808 801 0811, youth line: 0808 801 0711.

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Harry Potter was a key part of our childhood.

Fond memories of awaiting the release of the movies or books that would open up a world of magic – gives us those nostalgic feels. 

And for one of our all-time favourite characters, Luna Lovegood, played by Evanna Lynch, the series didn't just make her a household name, it changed her life.

The 27-year-old revealed how the franchise and in particular J.K. Rowling helped her through "a really difficult time” as she battled an eating disorder.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Evanna Lynch (@msevylynch) on

While making moves on Monday's Dancing with the Stars episode, the actress opened up about her most memorable year, 2006.

Evanna secured the role of Luna in January 2006 and she revealed that she was "the biggest fan" of Harry Potter.

“It was just my great love at that time. So then suddenly I was in the world, living the dream," she said.

“I just adored the Harry Potter franchise and Luna Lovegood was my favourite character, so it was just like a lot of things to process at once.” 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Harry Potter Film (@harrypotterfilm) on

Though the role was a huge deal for Evanna's career, Harry Potter meant so much more to her, as it offered a positive feeling through the darkness of an eating disorder.

“When I was like 11, 12, I was battling an eating disorder. Anyone who’s had an eating disorder knows it completely takes over your life,” she said.

And this is where the author came in to lend a hand, as the books were the only thing that could take Evanna's attention.

“I started writing to J.K. Rowling and she wrote back and we became pen friends after that,” said Lynch. “I was in and out of hospital and I would be getting these letters.”

The interaction with J.K. Rowling began to build up the actress' desire to fight.

The “books and her kindness really made me want to live again.” 

“Being in Harry Potter changed my life because it proved to me that I could do something, that I had something to offer the world,” she added.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Evanna Lynch (@msevylynch) on

Now before you start with any speculation, Evanna made it clear that the author had no influence when she secured the role of Luna. 

“We were pen pals. We were writing to each other for years, but then when the open audition happened, it happened within two weeks from the audition to getting the part and I didn’t have a chance to tell her,” she explained.

If you or a loved one are suffering from an eating disorder, there's a wealth of information here.

What an incredible story.

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Melanie Chisholm revealed she's lucky to be alive after restricting her diet during the early years of her career in the music industry.

The Spice Girl made the admission when she appeared on the TV series In Conversation With, telling comedian John Bishop how she suffered from depression and disordered eating while in the girl band.

Known for her athletic figure and sporty style, Mel kept her struggles out of the spot light.  

"I started to restrict my food to a point where I was just like – God only knows how I survived – but I think for maybe a couple of years, maybe it couldn't have been that long – but I was just eating fruit and vegetables," she said.

"That was it. And with that workload."

The 43-year-old previously spoke about her obsession with being the “perfect” pop-star, telling The Telegraph she thought she needed to look a certain way in order to be worthy of her success.

"I thought I had to be a certain way to be deserving of everything that was happening to me… to be a pop-star I had to be perfect, and that was my way of trying to achieve perfection.”

“I was exercising obsessively and all of my time with the Spice Girls I think I was probably living on adrenaline.

John Bishop: In Conversation with Melanie C airs on Thursday October 12 on W.

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Former Pussycat Doll, Nicole Scherzinger, has opened up about her battle with an eating disorder, admitting the pressure of being in a girl band only added fuel to the fire.

The 39-year-old spoke candidly about her struggle with bulimia in a revealing interview with Cosmopolitan, saying: “It stole all of my happiness, confidence and memories.”

The X Factor judge told the magazine that she was just 14-years-old when her issues around food and body-image first emerged.

 

Let's see if blondes really do have more fun..  @cosmopolitanuk

A post shared by Nicole Scherzinger (@nicolescherzy) on

“I was always very critical of myself from a young age, and when I was 14, I started running,” she said.

“I would go outside in the middle of the night and run, because I thought I had to be thinner and that my thighs should look a certain way.”

Things only got worse for Nicole when her career in the entertainment industry began to take off.

“When I got The Pussycat Dolls, it really amplified that because it had so much to do with showing your body off.”

Nicole first poke about her struggle with bulimia back in 2014, and though she has fully recovered, she admits she was ashamed of her past.

“I have a lot of fans and I never wanted to come out about it, because I was ashamed. But once I finally did come out about it, I realised how many people it had helped.”

But, just like everyone else, she has her goood and bad day. Speaking about her X Factor co-star, Nicole joked: “Mrs O and I were joking the other day that sometimes we wake up in a puddle of cookies and crisps! But what really helps me is working out. Even if it’s not for very long, (I love) to get a sweat on to keep me focused and positive.”

The singer finished off by encouraging women to not be so hard on themselves and to make an effort to embrace their figures. 

Hear, hear, Scherzy!

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At first glance, 20-year-old Alexis Ren seems to live a charmed life, sharing filtered snaps of tropical locations and amazing experiences with her 9 million Instagram followers.

The stunning model shares hundreds of bikini snaps on her page, showcasing her enviable good looks, but the LA native admits that it's not always as it seems. 

The Instagram super star has previously opened up about her body confidence issues, and admitted that despite being called perfect by her followers in every comment section, the model has struggled with a punishing regimen. 

 

A post shared by ALEXIS REN (@alexisren) on

Now, the Insta model has revealed to Cosmo that working in the cut-throat modelling industry left her with major body confidence issues. 

While working in Australia, the model gained a bit of weight without noticing, but her agency certainly did. 

'They were like, 'You did gain weight and if you could start working out a little bit more…'" she told Cosmo. '

'I just felt so out of control.'

 

A post shared by ALEXIS REN (@alexisren) on

'I was my worst critic ever,' she said. 'The only sense of relief I had was to be able to monitor my eating and my workouts.'

The star previously admitted via Twitter that she struggled with disordered eating. 

Taking to the social media site, Alexis said that she has previously pushed herself to the point of malnourishment through her work, and that this unhealthy state is apparent in her older posts.

She also stated that she previously struggled with a 'toxic state of mind' when it came to food and fitness. 

She felt that people only liked her for her body, and felt forced to push herself to maintain it. 

Alexis also revealed that she felt some guilt about her negative state of mind. 

'I would look at my profile and be like, "Look at this girl! She has, like, the most perfect life!' and I would feel so guilty for not feeling blessed all the time,' she told Cosmo.

 

A post shared by ALEXIS REN (@alexisren) on

Thankfully, Alexis is moving past her disordered thoughts about her body, and told her Twitter followers that she no longer uses food and exercise to punish herself. 

Kudos to Alexis for pulling back the perfectly-filtered veil on her Instagram life to reveal the real struggles behind it. 

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A small UK-based stationary company has come under fire recently following the release of it's 'diet friendly' food diaries.

The planners, designed and produced by Fox & Moon, are branded with a variety of insensitive slogans that many people believe could encourage eating disorders. 

 

Thursday Thoughts! Have a great one girls!!

A post shared by Fox & Moon Ltd (@fox_and_moon) on

Plus sized fashion blogger, Lottie L'Amour, described the journals as ''unacceptable.'' 

Photo: Instragram 

Speaking to BuzzFeed News, the Londoner explained: "Fox & Moon are currently making a profit from bullying women into thinking that they need to be thin to succeed, be beautiful, and be desirable." 

''I don't think [Fox & Moon] realises that words like this can trigger damaging eating habits that can lead to serious health problems and death in some cases.''

Also speaking to BuzzFeed News, Bethany Rutter, social editor for Navabi, said the journals are ''reinforcing and reaffirming a way of living your life that links your self-worth to your weight and are completely regressive.''

She continued, "I hate that it's someone's job to condense the weight loss industry and cultural fatphobia into twee sentences to stick on the cover of a notebook and monetise the hatred that women (yes, specifically women) feel for their bodies."

However, not everyone feels the same way. 

Some fans of the products have been defending the company's owner. 

So, what do you think? – It this a case of 'fitspo' gone too far or are people being too sensitive?

Feature Image: Fox & Moon Instagram

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Bella Hadid is reaping the benefits of her top notch modelling career, after storming the catwalk at the Victoria's Secret fashion show and being named the third most popular model of the year, just behind big sister Gigi and best friend Kendall.

However, the model has faced some criticism for her seriously slim figure, and the 20-year-old is now getting skinny shamed on a new Instagram photo.

Thousands of commentators have flocked to the photo to bash the model's body. 

 

A photo posted by Bella Hadid (@bellahadid) on

The star is being accused of "glamorising anorexia" in a black and white photo, in which her thin thighs and prominent ribs are clearly visible.

"Your ribs. Eat. Dangerous role model for young girls looking at you as an idol," said one.

"Is she anorexic? Stop glamorising eating disorders!" said another. 

 

A photo posted by Bella Hadid (@bellahadid) on

However, other fans are rushing to the models defence and blaming her weight loss on her struggle with Lyme disease.

"There is no need to be disrespectful. In the case you didn't know ( however unlikely that may be) she has Lyme disease so her weight fluctuates. Your comments are not only disrespectful to her and others suffering from Lyme disease but to people suffering from anorexia as well," said one.

Lyme disease does cause both weight loss and weight gain in sufferers as it effects the metabolism, so it is very possible that Bella's slim figure is a result of her illness, rather than an eating disorder. 

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Holly Willoughby has an enviably hourglass yet slim figure, and the TV host swears that sticking to a healthy lifestyle is the key. 

The This Morning host showed how much she cares for her viewers and fans by actively turning down the opportunity to discuss her diet and exercise routine. 

"I actually avoid talking about my diet and exercise regime because I have interviewed so many people affected by eating disorders and I know some people in chat rooms can really fixate on other people's diets," she told Prima. 

"I just can't contribute to that."

The mum-of-three said that she likes to focus on "the bigger picture," and makes her health a priority over how she looks. 

"I'm healthy; I love food it's a celebration, something to be talked over, shopped for, cooked and enjoyed," she said.

The host may have learned a thing or two after best friend Fearn Cotton's eye opening documentary The Truth About Online Anorexia, where the DJ was horrified to discover that her pictures were being used as "thinspiration" by young girls. 

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