A Plus Size Model’s Battle with Anorexia toward a Healthier Look and Mind

When 14-year-old Crystal Renn aspired to become a fashion model, an agent told her to lose 9 inches from her hips.

Crystal, driven to fulfill her dream, went from 175 pounds to 95 pounds in two years and leapt into a successful modeling career. She limited herself to 1,000 calories a day. She worked out from 1 to 8 hours a day.

And for all her success, Crystal was falling apart, literally. Crystal lost hair, had no energy, her mood sunk to perpetually sullen. By the age of 17 her body rebelled. It did not want to lose any more weight. Other models gave her insane advice like just eating the peels off apples. Her agency chastised her. An agent pulled her aside and told her the only two options she had were plus size modeling or commercial work. Crystal had not even heard of plus size modeling, but it was this backhanded bit of career advice that perhaps saved her life.