First diet at 10 shaped Natasha Devon's experience with bulimia

Natasha Devon says she first went on a diet at age 10 and later lived with severe bulimia; she reports being free of bulimia relapse for more than a decade.

Natasha Devon, now a campaigner for mental health and body positivity, reflects on an early start with dieting and a long recovery journey. She says she began dieting at age ten and later developed disordered eating that was diagnosed as severe bulimia in her twenties. Early attempts to seek help were complicated by assumptions about weight and diagnostic criteria. She describes receiving treatment for bulimia and, later, a separate diagnosis of panic disorder that helped clarify aspects of her illness. Key details: - She reports starting her first diet at age 10 and experiencing body-related distress from childhood. - During university she sought help but was initially not referred because she was not underweight, a response she describes as shaming. - She was later diagnosed with severe bulimia nervosa and received cognitive behavioural therapy as part of treatment. - In her early 30s she was diagnosed with panic disorder; addressing anxiety alongside eating disorder treatment contributed to improvements. Summary: Natasha Devon describes a long, non-linear recovery that included relapses, therapy, medication at times, and ongoing somatic therapy. Undetermined at this time.