Eating Disorders: public or silent enemy?

[saine]

My only point was that I wish the experts and professionals would use a tern like "emotionally distressed" instead of :mentally ill" to describe conditions like Gracie's.

And my point is that depression and anxiety are considered mental illnesses by psychiatrists and are classified as mood disorders. Deciding that 'emotionally distressed' should be used instead when they are serious conditions that can be debilitating without treatment is upsetting.

This isn't a case of what you wish they were called. This is a case of how psychiatrists and psychologists have classified them and how they discuss them. They are the experts in this and they know that mental illness can cover a wide range of conditions.

 

[Mathman]

This isn't a case of what you wish they were called.

To me, it is abuse of language -- and a harmful one at that. Psychologists only risk ridicule and dismissal by the general public by saying. "you are mentally ill" when they mean. "you are experiencing mood disorders."

IMHO, the thing about "emotional distress" versus "diseases of the mind" is that we have a reasonable shot at defining and understanding what "emotions" are and what affects and disorders them. Defining and understanding "mind" is a greater challenge by far. Most attempts merely highlight our ignorance.

Well, every profession has its own jargon. I suppose it doesn't really make any difference. Anyway, comfort dogs, safe zones, Gracie Gold telling stressed out skaters, "Hey you're not alone -- I know what you are going through because I went through it, too, and here are the techniques that I learned for coping with it all" -- that's all good. Good for the ISU for treating the issue with the seriousness that it deserves, and thank you Gracie for your service.

 

[saine]

To me, it is abuse of language -- and a harmful one at that. Psychologists only risk ridicule and dismissal by the general public by saying. "you are mentally ill" when they mean. "you are experiencing mood disorders."

IMHO, the thing about "emotional distress" versus "diseases of the mind" is that we have a reasonable shot at defining and understanding what "emotions" are and what affects and disorders them. Defining and understanding "mind" is a greater challenge by far. Most attempts merely highlight our ignorance.

Those are your philosophical beliefs. This is a medical field that is more than philosophy. I will go with the medical professionals on this.

 

[fliptzies]

Those are your philosophical beliefs. This is a medical field that is more than philosophy. I will go with the medical professionals on this.

But I mean, the reason there is a medical field for this is because of peoples' possibly misguided philosophies. And I would argue that philosophy provides the foundational framework for how we understand, interpret, and use medical knowledge. And don't forget about the ethics involved, which should be especially important in mental health.

 

[Magill]

To me, it is abuse of language -- and a harmful one at that. Psychologists only risk ridicule and dismissal by the general public by saying. "you are mentally ill" when they mean. "you are experiencing mood disorders."

IMHO, the thing about "emotional distress" versus "diseases of the mind" is that we have a reasonable shot at defining and understanding what "emotions" are and what affects and disorders them. Defining and understanding "mind" is a greater challenge by far. Most attempts merely highlight our ignorance.

Well, every profession has its own jargon. I suppose it doesn't really make any difference. Anyway, comfort dogs, safe zones, Gracie Gold telling stressed out skaters, "Hey you're not alone -- I know what you are going through because I went through it, too, and here are the techniques that I learned for coping with it all" -- that's all good. Good for the ISU for treating the issue with the seriousness that it deserves, and thank you Gracie for your service.

Well, I am pretty sure there is a huge and undeniable difference between "emotional distress" caused by having an argument with a friend over dinner and the catatonia in schizophrenia. One is a part of life, the other surely is a disease symptom. I do not think any psychologist or psychiatrist believes them equal, no need to put a fight about that. And there are oceans and oceans of syndromes and symptoms and phenomena in between.

I think the problem is that psychiatry and psychology use terms which people use in their everyday life and think they understand them while in the professional context they mean a slightly different thing. So I guess it is very difficult to have this discussion without defining meanings and making a good-will conscious effort to learn and understand what professionals mean when they use certain words. As they do not mean necessarily the same thing as their conversational equivalent. Just like a "function" or a "factor" in maths do not mean exactly the same thing as when used in lay conversations. And yet I do not think mathematicians ridicule themselves when they apply those otherwise colloquial words in contexts pretty far from conversational.

Here, in this discussion, I think the main problem is the social stigma related to the term "mental illness" in certain social environments.
OTOH, most psychological problems are not defined as "mental illness" though they may lead to one if left unattended....
And yet, the tendency to "over-diagnose" certain syndromes is real, and recognized as such also in the professional circles, and discussed. So it is not like some kind of total sacrilege...

 

[Mathman]

nd yet I do not think mathematicians ridicule themselves when they apply those otherwise colloquial words in contexts pretty far from conversational.

I can assure you that mathematicians are quite aware if how pompous and silly they sound to most people, and laugh at themselves over it.

As for the history of diagnosis and treatment of mental illnesses, when I was a teenager I was classified as a ""crazy mixed-up kid." The treatment? "He'll outgrow it." (Many of us did. A few committed suicide.)

Poster Seine above makes a good point about philosophers whose job it is to sit around thinking great thoughts, and professional practitioners whose business is actually doing something.

 

[sisinka]

...
In general I think that we would be bearer served if we switched our language from “mental health / mental illness” to “emotional well being / emotional distress.”

Everyone, not just elite athletes in high stress situations needs quiet time ro hug a comfort dog, Gracie Gold and Jason Brown are not crazy. They are not mentally ill. They are human.

Mentally ill? The guy in todays news who shot four people to death in a Manhattan high-rise because he thought that he was at the headquarters of the National Football League and he was mad at the NFL because he blamed them for all his traumatic brain injuries that he suffered by getting hit in the head (in reality he never played in the NFL).

I do believe I catch your point, @Mathman . You worry people will put into one group people like Gracie and Jason and shooter. Which you don't except and you are absolutely right.

Gracie Gold has been open about seeking treatment for depression and anxiety as well as her eating disorder (source).

Anxiety and depression are mental illnesses and they can be treated. They aren't always visible and people do their best to hide it because there is a stigma to them. Painting mentally ill people as being like the shooter harms people who are suffering from mental illnesses. It paints them as being violent when they aren't.
...

And my point is that depression and anxiety are considered mental illnesses by psychiatrists and are classified as mood disorders. Deciding that 'emotionally distressed' should be used instead when they are serious conditions that can be debilitating without treatment is upsetting.

...

I find you explanation great, @saine !

In medicine we are looking for order, we need to organise. With better classification, we may get more specialised = better treatment.

Well, I am pretty sure there is a huge and undeniable difference between "emotional distress" caused by having an argument with a friend over dinner and the catatonia in schizophrenia. One is a part of life, the other surely is a disease symptom. I do not think any psychologist or psychiatrist believes them equal, no need to put a fight about that. And there are oceans and oceans of syndromes and symptoms and phenomena in between.

I think the problem is that psychiatry and psychology use terms which people use in their everyday life and think they understand them while in the professional context they mean a slightly different thing. So I guess it is very difficult to have this discussion without defining meanings and making a good-will conscious effort to learn and understand what professionals mean when they use certain words. As they do not mean necessarily the same thing as their conversational equivalent. Just like a "function" or a "factor" in maths do not mean exactly the same thing as when used in lay conversations. And yet I do not think mathematicians ridicule themselves when they apply those otherwise colloquial words in contexts pretty far from conversational.

Here, in this discussion, I think the main problem is the social stigma related to the term "mental illness" in certain social environments.
OTOH, most psychological problems are not defined as "mental illness" though they may lead to one if left unattended....
And yet, the tendency to "over-diagnose" certain syndromes is real, and recognized as such also in the professional circles, and discussed. So it is not like some kind of total sacrilege...

Great points, @Magill !

What I find difficult in daily communication is the fact that using same words, people may imagine completely different things.

Mental disease is general term with wide range of diseases with all range of symptoms, which can be in different intensity in every person. As is kidney disease for example.

...
Everyone, not just elite athletes in high stress situations needs quiet time to hug a comfort dog, Gracie Gold and Jason Brown are not crazy. They are not mentally ill. They are human.
....

...
As for the history of diagnosis and treatment of mental illnesses, when I was a teenager I was classified as a ""crazy mixed-up kid." The treatment? "He'll outgrow it." (Many of us did. A few committed suicide.)
...

All people are experiencing stress on all range of levels, you are absolutely right, @Mathman .

I think that body and mind themselves have many ways how to cope with stress. BUT if there are suicidal minds, depression which doesn't allow you to get up from bed, minds that you don't worth to live... body and mind are not able to cope anymore, in my opinion. The sooner help comes, the better for the person.

Yes, there will always be some people who will laugh and misinterpret when you speak to them about "mental illness". Until it will happen to somebody in their surroundings.
There will always be some people who will say that hockey is tought sport while figure skating is just for "soft princesses" (more male skaters met this opinion during childhood). Until those people try figure skating by themselves, they will probably not change their minds.
But personally I was not doing this Thread for those people.

I wanted to share skater's experience with Eating Disorders to help TO PREVENT others from this terrible disease. I wanted those skaters to be heard more loudly while they are trying TO PROTECT next generation of skaters. Not to repeat what they went through. Not to suffer as much as they did. And not the last TO HELP those who are fighting with Eating Disorder and didn't find the way how to get out from it yet.

Of course, I am optimistic as well to hope that all those informations will turn at least few people from group "I DON'T BELIEVE EATING DISORDERS IS AN ISSUE" into group "I DO CARE ABOUT SKATERS HEALTH". But it was not my the most important and primary target.

 

[sisinka]

But I mean, the reason there is a medical field for this is because of peoples' possibly misguided philosophies. And I would argue that philosophy provides the foundational framework for how we understand, interpret, and use medical knowledge. And don't forget about the ethics involved, which should be especially important in mental health.

Attending more seminars of different specialties this year I can tell you that more doctors are using philosophic quotes and talking about philosophy during their lectures.

Medicine in general is about detail description of symptoms, precise examinations etc., it is mostly based on proven facts.

But we already know there is a connection between mind and body, one influencing the other. Positive approach and hope accelerate healing process.
We saw pacients to survive conditions where based on known datas they had no chance to survive. Ethics like @fliptzies mentioned.

I believe that philosophy and medicine go hand in hand, sometimes getting the best results exactly thanks to that connection.

Eating Disorders are not hypertension.
Take pills and your blood pressure will go down. Reducing food intake or stop eating has deep roots in mind, self-esteem and self-approach.

Eating Disorders are consequence. Pills or parenteral nutrition is not solving the core of the problem. So I find Eating Disorder's treatment like an example of philosophic and medicine approach connection.

 

[sisinka]

I am slowly getting through Kiira Korpi’s book, being in the first half – Surviving the Ruthless World of Championship Figure Skating published in 2022. I am glad that the book was translated into English.

Kiira speaks about more problems, most of them are related to figure skating world. Mental health, self-image, self-esteem, wish to satisfy everybody, popularity, eating troubles…

She was experiencing stomach issues, having nightmares, inconsistent period, she collapsed at Finnish test camp in 2008. She underwent whole bunch of tests – for rheumatic diseases, celiac disease, test for overtraining – all negative. For a very long time nobody was able to put together the right reason of Kiira’s poor physical condition, nobody had all informations. So it took a long time till they found out that her body is collapsing thanks to poor diet and starving.

Kiira thinks that eating issues were one of major reason why she got injured in later years. I fully agree.

One thing which got my attention...Kiira mentioned that she indeed felt lighter with lower weight, BUT she never ever got as good results in fitness tests (not only in 2008, but in next years as well) comparing it to 2006.

Fitness tests mentioned in the book - vertical jump on special mat, pull-ups, rabbit running.

Jumps are not about weight only, if so Satoko Miyahara would be expected to be much stronger jumper than Kaori Sakamoto or Elizaveta Tuktamysheva. Good technique. Dynamic muscle work of legs. Core strengthening.
So Kiira is right. There are many other aspects coming to high and strong jumps, not weight on the first place.

Many years back Jennifer Kirk also mentioned that low weight is taken like the key for good jumps, instead of concentrating on improving jumping technique.

 

[Diana Delafield]

Jumps are not about weight only, if so Satoko Miyahara would be expected to be much stronger jumper than Kaori Sakamoto or Elizaveta Tuktamysheva. Good technique. Dynamic muscle work of legs. Core strengthening.
So Kiira is right. There are many other aspects coming to high and strong jumps, not weight on the first place.

Many years back Jennifer Kirk also mentioned that low weight is taken like the key for good jumps, instead of concentrating on improving jumping technique.

My first coach from the age of 5 to 15 was my grandmother's cousin, who I called Auntie Bess. She was part of the same naturally thin family and knew I'd weighed a shade less than 5 lbs when I was born full-term. One day when I'd been having an early jump lesson, my mother had been watching and I overhead her talking to my coach afterwards. I don't know what my mother had asked, but Auntie Bess said: "She's like a flea on the ice. Either she'll gain weight as she grows or she won't. It doesn't matter. I'm teaching her how to do big jumps no matter which way she grows."

I guess her philosophy worked. Nobody pushed me to gain, and it never occurred to me to try to lose any of the few pounds I had. Food and diets weren't mentioned or thought of. My jumps have been the same (high, straight-up takeoffs) no matter how my weight fluctuated naturally over the years. It can be done with good coaching.

 

[sisinka]

My first coach from the age of 5 to 15 was my grandmother's cousin, who I called Auntie Bess. ...

Nice memories. I wish more skaters had such wise coaches.

Good technique is the base. Weight is not the most important, in my opinion.
Because in past 10-20 years we saw skaters with different body building and yes, they were / are able to execute triples (ladies) and triples / quads (men).

Healthy eating and healthy approach towards food is essential in life of everybody. Having right eating habits skaters would probably reach ideal weight (weight they perform the best both physically and mentally) naturally. This is the best option.

I believe that even more kind approach should be during skater's puberty. Weight fluctuation is typical in these years. It is not helpful to be extra rigid in range of kilograms. The height and body composition is constantly changing. Not because skater would be "overeating" or "not enough responsible". It is simply happening and it is completely natural and normal thing. Mentality is more fragile comparing to adult age. The support and bigger freedom when body changes happen could help teen skaters to adjust to new body faster and better, without low self-esteem and self-hate moments. Even if this would mean loss of World junior medals. It worth it to keep human one mentally and physically healthy.

Let's hope we will see more and more people from skating world supporting the idea that great technique is important, NOT unhealthy low weight.

 

[Mathman]

Healthy eating and healthy approach towards food is essential in life of everybody. Having right eating habits skaters would probably reach ideal weight (weight they perform the best both physically and mentally) naturally. This is the best option.

I think that the fly in the ointment is that healthy attitudes toward eating are what everyone strives for, but this does not always address the causes of unhealthy behaviors. Kiira Korpi had self-image / body image anxieties??? She looked like (glamorous movie star) Grace Kelly, for goodness sake!

Jenny Kirk was the second-prettiest girl in U.S. skating in her day (the first-prettiest was her older sister, who accompanied her as chaperon at competitions and tours in Jennifer's early days.) If Kirk suffered from the self-inflicted wounds of thinking that she needed to starve herself to succeed ib the game, this, to me, is a deep-seated problem that even Diana Delefield's wise and kindhearted Aunt might not be enough to overcome.

 

[sisinka]

I think that the fly in the ointment is that healthy attitudes toward eating are what everyone strives for, but this does not always address the causes of unhealthy behaviors. Kiira Korpi had self-image / body image anxieties??? She looked like (glamorous movie star) Grace Kelly, for goodness sake!

Jenny Kirk was the second-prettiest girl in U.S. skating in her day (the first-prettiest was her older sister, who accompanied her as chaperon at competitions and tours in Jennifer's early days.) If Kirk suffered from the self-inflicted wounds of thinking that she needed to starve herself to succeed ib the game, this, to me, is a deep-seated problem that even Diana Delefield's wise and kindhearted Aunt might not be enough to overcome.

You are right, it is complex problem.

Body dysmorphia. They don't see the true state. They see what their low self-esteem, mental traumas and self-punishment attitude create inside their mind. Which is not reflecting the truth.

Since childhood skaters are hearing that bigger weight is enemy. It looks to be that there is full ignoration of the fact that child - adult evolution is about growing height and GROWING WEIGHT. Or ignoration of the fact that bigger muscles and bigger strength mean BIGGER WEIGHT.

It looks that skaters are led to hate each single kilogram they gain. To feel guilty about that.

When new season began in our local club in 2000's you could hear comments like: "Oh my lord, you grew up 1 meter." "Look, how big buttocks she has now."
Was it called puberty? No.
Was it called natural process? No.
In skating manners the second case - it was straightly because girl did nothing = laziness. In reality both girls were entering puberty only.

Are skaters led to welcome puberty like challenging BUT natural thing nowadays?

Are coaches, parents, federation patient, giving enough time to skaters to adapt to new body and mental state?

 

[Mathman]

Here is an article that was published earlier this year co-authored by Rachael Flatt (2010 U.S. figure skating champ[ion.) It appeared in the International Journal of Eating Disorders in April, on the subject of binge eating.

Rachael has a PhD in clinical psychology from the University of North Carolina.

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/390697392_Distinct_Patterns_of_Dynamical_Regulation_in_Passive_Sensor_Data_Following_Binge_and_Purge_Behaviors

 

[sisinka]

Here is an article that was published earlier this year co-authored by Rachael Flatt (2010 U.S. figure skating champ[ion.) It appeared in the International Journal of Eating Disorders in April, on the subject of binge eating.

Rachael has a PhD in clinical psychology from the University of North Carolina.

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/390697392_Distinct_Patterns_of_Dynamical_Regulation_in_Passive_Sensor_Data_Following_Binge_and_Purge_Behaviors

Thank you for the link @Mathman . It is great that there are researches about Eating Disorders, it may help to understand this problem better.

This study is comparing heart rate and number of steps following binge and purge, comparing it with healthy controls or with each other. The aim of the study is trying to find some easily available tool (smart watches) for better control of treatment of binge / purge.

 

[Bluediamonds09]

That interview on FS Gossips from Marina telling the ice dancer (Laurence?) to lose weight? 10kg? Disgusting. She's probably horrible to girls, probably says all kinds of mean things about their weight.

 

[NanaPat]

That interview on FS Gossips from Marina telling the ice dancer (Laurence?) to lose weight? 10kg? Disgusting. She's probably horrible to girls, probably says all kinds of mean things about their weight.

Agree entirely. Just want to clarify that the disgusting Marina is Annisina, not Zoueva.

 

[sisinka]

That interview on FS Gossips from Marina telling the ice dancer (Laurence?) to lose weight? 10kg? Disgusting. She's probably horrible to girls, probably says all kinds of mean things about their weight.

https://fs-gossips.com/14251/
- interview with 2002 Olympic champion in ice dance Marina Anissina (skated with Gwendal Peizerat for France), published in September 2025

“In my opinion, she needs to lose about 10 kilograms. Alexei [Yagudin] would probably argue that it’s unimportant, but I think it matters because she is on the heavier side (she is heavy a little bit - from original article in Russian language). That weight shows on the ice. However, she does have potential – she’s more expressive, more emotional. Gabriella had a more cold, linear style, while this new skater has a depth that can be brought out. Still, for me, those 10 kilograms are crucial.”

QUESTION: To lose weight. Do you mean to lose weight to look better next to him or to lose weight to skate more lightly? So, is she too heavy on the ice on her own or is she too heavy next to him because she is quite muscular? I can't say she is overweight, she is just muscular. (from original article in Russian language)

"“She doesn’t necessarily have excess fat. She’s muscular, but she’s big, and that adds volume and heaviness. It affects perception on the ice because there’s a lack of lightness. When I watched them, it immediately stood out to me as something that was holding her back, particularly in the short program.”

...When asked if she had ever received similar feedback during her own career, Anissina responded: “Yes, I’ve been told that my entire life. I’ve always been on a diet, always told to lose weight. As long as I can remember, it was consistent advice.”

"...But in the ’90s and 2000s, we had clear standards. We were weighed every day. I remember Natalia Vladimirovna Linichuk telling us if we didn’t weigh 500 grams less by the next day, we’d have to run laps and wouldn’t be allowed to train on the ice. Angela Krylova and I ran plenty of laps because of this.”

...Despite this, Anissina believes Fournier Beaudry has time to address these concerns: “She still has a chance. If she works on her weight, she’ll gain lightness and make it easier to accelerate on the ice. Guillaume is fine and keeps pace, but she needs to bring that same lightness.."

---------

There is a lot what can be written about this article. I do believe that Marina Anissina was living too many years in environment where the "tinner = better" was the only strategy. So she is one of the victims of this approach, making her believe that there is no other way. I believe that there is some kind of disorder like body dysmorphia (mental health condition in which a person can't see herself / himself objectively), but not only towards your own body, but towards other people and their body as well.

Some notes to this article:

1. Being constantly pushed to lose weight
"...I remember Natalia Vladimirovna Linichuk telling us if we didn’t weigh 500 grams less by the next day, we’d have to run laps and wouldn’t be allowed to train on the ice..."

Marina Anissina was trained by Natalia Linichuk while skating with Ilia Averbukh in her junior years in early 90's.

Natalia Linichuk & Genadi Karponosov were 1980 Olympic champions in Ice Dance. They became famous coaches, they trained many Olympic and World Champions.

While in early 90's Linichuk's ice dancers were pushed to run to put down every 500 grams...in 2009 it is Genadi Karponosov who pushed Tanith Belbin (suffering from Eating Disorders) to gain 10 pounds of weight. After Tanith gained weight, her partner Benjamin Agosto mentioned that lifts became more easily done, because she had more strength.


2. Ideal weight
Modern approach is needed more and more in figure skating . Not the "tinner = better" strategy with lowest possible (impossible) weight, but IDEAL WEIGHT is the key how help an athlete to reach maximal potential in both physical and mental performance. Ideal weight is individual based on skater's body building. It can be 50 kg, as well as 65 kg in ladies skating.


3. "...She doesn’t necessarily have excess fat. She’s muscular, ..."
I agree that Laurence looks to have no excess fat. I think her level of body fat is very low.
Another food restriction and excessive training would put level of her body fat even lower - which would be dangerous. Too low body fat leads to multiple health troubles - cardial, immune, mood changes, ...

Loss of muscle mass would lead to loss of strength. Laurence would lose dynamics and sharpness in her movements.

Skaters who are injured and forced to rest fully, are losing muscle mass thanks to inactivity - especially having plaster (cast) in case of broken bone. This is not good thing. And it does not help in skating performance.

4. Acrobatic lifts
It is essential for both partners to do their job in lifts rightly. With loss of muscle and fatique from starving, woman is not able to help man in lifts. It may lead to injury very fast - from overloading or thanks to falls.

5. Acceleration on the ice.
Former ice dancers - Olympic champions or medalist - Tessa Virtue and Madison Hubell.
Nowadays Natalie Taschlerova and Katerina Mrazkova are among fastest ladies in ice dance.
Not even one woman was / is super tiny with low muscle mass, let's say under 55 kg in my opinion.

We can compare them with some of the tinniest ice dancers - Madison Chock, Juulia Turkkila and Lilah Fear. I do believe those ice dancers are under or around 50 kg.

The ability of acceleration to get higher speed across the ice is better in the first group of ladies, in my opinion.

6. Lightness
Most of junior ice dancers at the age of 13 have smaller weight and look more "light" comparing to adults.

Tessa & Scott at the age of 14 and 16 years old - https://youtu.be/oEJeiQOHD2k?si=PCYXRt-0zArNr1Em
Tessa & Scot winning second SENIOR Olympic medal being 28 and 30 years old - https://youtu.be/wDB95xr9zRM?si=Y8d70SpKkL09XUdb

They are definitely skating with more lightness at the first video and they are definitely more muscular at the second video. Personally I much more prefer their senior skating, having (logically) much better skating skills and presentation.

I would also argue that easiness in terms of gliding and executing difficult turns is MUCH more important than having lightness thanks to low weight.

 

[Mathman]

."Angela Krylova and I [Anissina] ran plenty of laps because of this.”

My two favorites. Both were more womanly than the average stick-figure skater, Tessa Virtue was, too.

Plus, I liked saying the name-that-rhymes-with-itself, Marina Anissina.

[Aside: When I typed "Anissina" just now autocorrect changed it to "Asinine."]

Seriously, though, if an ice dancer is "muscular," is running laps going to produce the desired loss of muscle mass? Is it in fact desirable that athletes work on debilitating their musculature? (According to her on-line biographies, Anissina comes from a family of hockey players.)

 

[sisinka]

Sofja Stepcenko

Article below is from August 2025. It is difficult to read, there is warning in the beginning of the article that it contains description of suicidal attempts, self-harm, emotional abuse, ...
The article is partially investigative as well.
https://anythinggoe.com/latvian-skaters-speak-about-abuse/

"...in December, I decided to go to the doctor, and they told me, ‘You have a stress fracture with necrosis inside of your bone, and half of your hamstrings are broken. If you want to be disabled, you can continue to skate. But if you don’t want that, please stop.’ And my coach told me, ‘It was because you had one and a half kilos of extra weight.’”

That accusation exacerbated another problem: from age 13, Stepcenko struggled with an eating disorder, using laxatives to control her weight. “I needed to lose weight very fast and in a short period.”


Based on the article, Sofja is undergoing treatment and looking positively to the future.