Married at First Sight Australia 2024‘s Sara Mesa has shared her past struggles with “extreme body dysmorphia” in a candid Instagram Story.
On June 1, the nutritionist opened up about her past eating struggles in response to a troll who called her out for “setting a bad example” after she posted a clip of herself eating pastries and drinking wine.
Content Warning: Contains descriptive information about eating disorders.
“A few years back, I was in a very restrictive mindset,” the 29-year-old told her followers. “I was very obsessive with counting calories and I’d constantly be dieting just to get to a better physique.
“I was always trying to look a certain way, and I had extreme body dysmorphia, and I did not think I looked the way that I looked.”
The former TV bride confessed that she said “no” to lots of things she enjoyed, including pastries and going out.
“I stopped drinking for a long time and became a shell of myself. I became a different person all to look a certain way,” she said.
Sara reflected on these days, calling them a “stressful time in [her] life”.
“I ended up losing my hair and having extreme hormonal acne and going through a depressive state,” she added.
Married at First Sight’s Sara Mesa calls her past body struggles an ‘out-of-body experience’
Sara then admitted that her body dysmorphia caused her to start binge eating.
“I’d beat myself up and emotionally eat, and it was an out-of-body experience. I was never content with the way I looked.”
Despite her difficult past, Sara has overcome her struggles and is no longer scared of food.
Fans share their support for MAFS‘ Sara
Sara later shared the heartwarming responses of fans who’d experienced similar body struggles.
“Thank you for posting this,” one user wrote. “I’m still in the process of trying to have a healthier relationship with food, so thank you for talking about this and normalising healthy eating with a balance of enjoying life.”
Another fan added: “I’m still finding my balance, but looking at your life and seeing that you can do it and have done it makes me feel so much better.”
A third wrote, “Drink the bloody wine, savour the pastries, and embrace all the fantastic things our incredible bodies allow us to do. Keep advocating for balance and self-worth.”
If you or anyone you know is struggling and needs support, call Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800 or Lifeline on 13 11 14, both of which provide trained counsellors you can talk with 24/7. You can call the Butterfly Foundation on 1800 33 4673. You can also speak with someone confidentially at Headspace by calling 1800 650 890 or chat online here.
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