British journalist Liz Jones reveals lifelong battle with anorexia

A 65-year-old British journalist and columnist opened up about her half-century-long struggle with anorexia. Her bitter story lacks even a hint of sweetness.

Liz Jones has worked as a journalist in the United Kingdom since 1981. She started writing about fashion and has been penning columns for a long time, revealing much of her private life. She has worked with "Marie Claire," "The Sunday Times," and "The Evening Standard." On July 19, her column was published in the "Daily Mail," brutally and honestly describing life with anorexia, which she has suffered from since she was 11 years old.

Jones began her article with an anecdote from a supermarket: "Standing in line at the checkout behind a family with two overflowing carts, I say out loud, 'Are you really going to eat all of that?' Food is still a curse for me. It is generally believed that anorexia is a young women's disease. Either you tragically die, or you eventually come to your senses. People rarely think about what happens when you haven't recovered." Anorexia has the highest mortality rate among all mental illnesses.

The journalist confessed: "I can work, be fit enough to walk the dogs twice a day and clean the horses, but at age 65, I remain anorexic - just as I have been since I was 11." The story Jones described is bitter, without a hint of sweetness. There's no place for it on her plate either. She wrote about the results of her tests: "Last year, I had a bone density test which revealed signs of osteoporosis in my spine. It resembles an Aero chocolate bar that I never ate. These results from decades of under-eating and a diet low in calcium."

This isn't the only consequence of suffering from anorexia. Jones explained: "Due to my eating disorder, my weight was so low that I couldn't ovulate. But even if I could have gotten pregnant, the prospect of losing control over my body shape during it terrified me." The journalist also admitted that her relationships with other people suffer. She stated: "Old anorexics are terrible partners because we are so rigid. We are afraid you might cook something with butter or add chocolate to chilli." She isn't invited to food-related events either and has heard: "We didn't invite you to the barbecue because we know you wouldn’t eat."

The hardest thing for healthy people to understand is how the mind of a person with anorexia works. Jones confessed: "Rationally, I know I am not fulfilled or happy. I watch MasterChef or see a family having lunch and envy the pleasure people take in food. But even now, I think being fat is disgusting. I often have nightmares where my hips grow, or I get a muffin top. I'm happy that I still fit into a size 4." In this last part, she is also 'supported' by her surroundings. The 65-year-old noted: "No one cares that you don’t derive pleasure from life. People say, 'Oh, you can wear anything! Hooray!'."

Jones also mentioned a new phenomenon: "The fact that so many once curvier role models - Adele, Rebel Wilson, Oprah - have shrunk as if they were put in a hot wash makes my anorexic brain wonder if women still envy the thin, despite the body positivity movement. Am I right by being slim after all?" She honestly answered herself: "Seriously though, why would anyone want to be like me? Never knowing what it's like to be truly full, never experiencing the pleasure of olive oil, pasta, risotto, or even ice cream on a hot day?