Beating anorexia allowed me to exercise my way to a body I’m proud of

It sounds dramatic but it wasn’t enough to scare me. It never is when you’re anorexic; you’re invincible, the doctors just don’t know it.

By Ilona Burton | Notebook | Wednesday, 19 September 2012 at 12:28 pm

The staggering cost of eating disorders in England

If ever there was a reason to emphasise the desperate need for early intervention, greater awareness and compulsory education on the subject of eating disorders, this is it.

By Ilona Burton | Health, Notebook, Opinion | Tuesday, 31 July 2012 at 10:25 am

Drunkorexia: A stupid name, but a serious problem

“Eatin’s Cheatin’” echoes around the office on a Friday afternoon as women pick over their naked salads and extra extra light low fat Philly on Ryvita. The preparations for ‘Rosé o’clock’ are well under way. They’ll grumble their way through the afternoon and suppress the urge to be ‘naughty’ whenever anyone offers a biscuit, sweet or chocolate.

By Ilona Burton | Health, Notebook, Opinion | Monday, 9 July 2012 at 10:00 am

Force-feeding: There was a time when I would rather die than eat the food in front of me

There was a time when I would rather die than live with the guilt that came after drinking the nutrition substitute that replaced the contents of that plate.

By Ilona Burton | Health, Notebook, Opinion | Thursday, 21 June 2012 at 12:19 pm

Growing out of anorexia

The biggest mistake I ever made was making a connection between achievement and being underweight.
Two days ago, I celebrated my 26th birthday. Not a biggie, but on such occasions I often reflect on past events, memories and chunks of time spent or misspent and I’m often faced with difficulty when I think about how much of my life so far has been tarnished by Anorexia and Bulimia.

By Ilona Burton | Health, Notebook | Saturday, 19 May 2012 at 12:00 am

Ban images of emaciation, not airbrushing

In the Eating Disorder Unit, as we sat around in the lounge, cushions held tight over our swollen, protruding tummies, we were supervised post-meal to make sure we didn’t throw up, exercise or make a bid for freedom. The blaring TV would be immediately switched over at the slightest mention of dieting or weightloss, certain staff would rip pages from magazines and websites (even my own blog) were blocked from view.

By Ilona Burton | Health, Notebook, Opinion | Wednesday, 9 May 2012 at 4:08 pm

Any press is good press? Not when anorexia’s involved

Media coverage of eating disorders comes and goes in waves; one minute it’s in fashion and the next, every editor in the world is sick to death of it. If one frustratingly and frighteningly successful news site is anything to go by, though, anorexia, or coverage of it, is really hot right now.

By Ilona Burton | Health, Notebook, Opinion | Tuesday, 24 April 2012 at 4:00 am

“But you don’t LOOK anorexic”

‘Anorexia is so much more of as bitch when you don’t look anorexic.’
I tweeted this remark in amongst a rare splurge of personal eating disorder related rantage. Within minutes, I had a stream of comments in response, sharing my outrage that to anybody on the outside is so incomprehensible. It didn’t calm the anxieties I [...]

By Ilona Burton | Health, Notebook | Sunday, 27 November 2011 at 1:01 am

Anna-Rexia ‘Adult’ Costume – A strongly worded letter…

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am writing to you to complain on behalf of myself and I am sure that I speak for thousands, even millions of others who will be equally shocked and appalled by the ‘Anna Rexia Adult Costume’.

By Ilona Burton | Health, Notebook | Friday, 23 September 2011 at 12:33 am

University and Eating Disorders: a few notes for Freshers

Freshers’ Week is looming and new students will be dragging their excited bums around Ikea, packing their lives away, leaving mummy and daddy and will soon find themselves in a room no bigger than a prison cell thinking, “Jesus, this is it”.
This time to students is what Leeds Festival is to grubby, post GCSE teens; [...]

By Ilona Burton | Health, Notebook | Thursday, 15 September 2011 at 12:32 am