Vanessa Bauer thinks eating disorders aren't taken "seriously enough".
Vanessa Bauer
The 24-year-old figure skater has taken to Instagram to discuss her 10-year battle with an eating disorder, and she has called for the issue to be taken more seriously by wider society.
The 'Dancing on Ice' star wrote on the photo-sharing platform: "I used to think I could never model lingerie for personal battles with my body confidence.
"If you’ve followed me for a while you may know about my past battle with an aggressive eating disorder as I opened up about this a while ago. This was meant to be a different kind of post but Today I saw tragic news of a lost battle with an ED. It made me realise once again that there isn’t enough awareness around ED. (sic)"
Vanessa thinks more needs to be done to raise awareness of eating disorders.
The TV star also hopes that her personal experience will prove that "the vicious circle can be beaten".
She wrote on Instagram: "They are not taken seriously enough. And it costs lives... I suffered nearly a decade - it ultimately ended my competitive skating career - and for the last couple of years I’ve been strong enough to openly speak and raise awareness in the hope to help people who are suffering too.
"to show them they are not alone and that the vicious circle can be beaten!! [star emojis] (sic)"
Vanessa wrote her Instagram post shortly after Nikki Grahame passed away at the age of 38.
The former 'Big Brother' star died after a long battle with anorexia, and news of her death was confirmed by the GoFundMe page that was set up to raise money for her healthcare costs.
A statement on the page read: "It is with great sadness, we have to let you know that our dear friend Nikki passed away in the early hours of Friday 9th April.
"It breaks our hearts to know that someone who is so precious was taken from us at such a young age. Nikki not only touched the lives of millions of people, but also her friends and family who will miss her immensely."
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