Anorexic woman says eating a single chocolate saved her life

A recovering anorexic woman from Derbyshire, East Midlands, says her life was changed after eating a single Lindor chocolate.

Annie Windley, 21, weighed just 29 kilograms, or four and a half stone, at her lowest point. She survived just one piece of toast with jam every day for five years.

Hospitalised five times due to her condition, Annie’s battle with anorexia began at the age of 15 when she was at boarding school.

She started calorie counting, cutting out carbohydrates, meat and dairy. During this time, she claims she had a bad relationship with her parents.

She told SWNS: “I started to diet slowly and people would say I looked great when I first started so I just kept dieting, my weight was the only thing I had control over.

“When things were bad at home I lost more weight then I started getting bullied at school for being so thin.”

Things went from bad to worse as Annie’s diet turned into a full-blown eating disorder.

“I used to refuse to eat meals, if you put lasagne in front of me I would physically shake, swear and become agitated, I could not be in the same room as food,” revealed Annie.

“Something so small was a big deal to me, I could not be near food, if I was going to eat I’d have toast with jam or low fat ready meals to avoid gaining any weight.

“It got so bad, one time I was sectioned I would scream and bang my head on the wall, I just wanted to leave and not be around food.

“I was even told I was at risk of a heart attack because I was so small.”

However, one day in October 2017 she found herself craving a single Lindor chocolate, a small incident which turned her life around.

“It was crazy to think by eating one part of chocolate I’d instantly gain weight but that day was when I realised eating was not as frightening as I’d made it out to be.”

Annie later began eating healthy meals to help her gain weight, including crumpets for breakfast, protein bars, fish and jacket potatoes.

With additional reporting by SWNS/Mellissa Dzinzi.

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