For anyone suffering an eating disorder, a "before" and "after" photo can sometimes be encouraging for progress, but one woman says they can be just as damaging.
Lexie Louise, a 21-year-old mental health blogger, recently started a campaign boycotting "before" shots of her eating disorder, and she is encouraging others to do the same.
"All these photos represent is physical change. One misconception around eating disorders stems from the thought, 'You need to look underweight or look deathly ill to be struggling.' And while specific eating disorders can drastically affect one’s weight, one can struggle at any weight – underweight, overweight, and any and every weight and size in between," she wrote for Proud2BMe.
She also started a movement on Instagram preaching the same messages, as well as sharing the stories of other women.
"Anyone who has been following me for any length of time knows that I often speak out against 'before and after' photosets in the recovery community; however, my dislike goes beyond just finding these photos distasteful. I strongly believe that equating weight gain with recovery from an eating disorder, in any context, does the entire eating disorder community a great disservice," user @tpyriformis1988 wrote on the social media site.
"If the phrase 'You don’t look like you have an eating disorder!' both hurts and angers you, then you've already become aware of the negative effects that before and after photos have caused to the eating disorder community. Because these photos are so prevalent in social media when recovery is the topic of discussion, the general public perceives that being sick with an eating disorder means being underweight and that being recovered from an eating disorder means, well, looking recovered!"
And because National Eating Disorder Awareness Week in the U.S. recently ended, Louise's message is more important than ever.
Many have been using her hashtag #BoycottTheBefore, and are sharing their own personal struggles online.
As Instagram user @han_resilience1121 wrote, "Anorexia broke my heart day after day for so many years but now that I am healthy and happy, there's no reason to showcase her destruction. There is not a path to happiness- happiness is the path so step into your power and cultivate it. Create the most joyful version of yourself!"
User @lanasrecovery pointed out in terms of how she looks weight-wise, her "before" and "after" shots are almost the same.
"Because in one of these pictures I was deep in self hatred and malnutrition and misery and couldn't even fathom living without my disorder. I could barely function because my entire existence seemed to revolve around food and weight and dealing with the physical toll that my eating disorder had on me. And because in one of these photos I am nourished, I am happier, I have experienced treatment, I am slowly learning how to live my life again. I am fighting to recover and I'm fighting for my life. So, #boycottthebefore because I look pretty much the same in both of these pictures."
And as Louise adds, this is the time to fight back.
"I encourage you to responsibly share your recovery story this NEDAwareness Week if you feel comfortable doing so. I also encourage you to factor in other people – those in recovery and those whom we are trying to educate – when you share posts this year."