Torment of eating disorders, self-image growing

Experts see cases of extreme weight loss and gain as cause for concern

During the worst stage of her eating disorder three years ago, Zhang Qinwen, who stands 1.64 meters tall, weighed just 28 kilograms.

One day, she was taken to the hospital after suddenly fainting on a street in Shanghai. She didn't have the strength to take a single step, let alone get into a vehicle without help.

Just 22 years old at the time, Zhang was experiencing fatigue, hair loss and irregular menstrual periods. Her parents were extremely worried about her.

During her time in the hospital, Zhang wrote accounts of her battle with the eating disorder and shared them on social media platforms, receiving warm feedback from those with similar problems.

Since 2019, Zhang has devoted herself to public events, such as workshops, and she also makes films, which have put her in touch with people with eating disorders.

Her problems began in 2016, when she was a university student in Shanghai and turned to the internet for advice on watching her weight. She went to great lengths each day to burn calories-exercising for three hours and monitoring her diet by using weight-watcher apps.

Her weight soon dropped from 98kg to 83kg. Zhang continued to follow a strict diet and meticulously counted the calories she consumed every day, but then matters went out of control.

"I was involved in a constant tug of war with myself. Even though I realized I was thin, I didn't dare eat. It scared me to even think of eating," said Zhang, who was forced to suspend her schooling twice due to her health. "The issue was more psychological than physical," she added.