A girl has shared the true “story” behind one among her most-liked Instagram photographs as a reminder that posts on social media don’t at all times inform the entire story.
Erica Romy, who goes by the username @eribodysbeautiful on TikTok, the place she posts body-positive content material, has devoted quite a few movies to a collection she created referred to as: “Behind my most-liked pics.”
Within the collection, Romy shares perception into what her followers wouldn’t know simply from taking a look at her photos, with one viral video specializing in a photograph taken when Romy was “in the midst of a really extreme consuming and train dysfunction”.
Within the video, the TikToker spoke candidly a couple of photograph of herself smiling in a bikini and standing on a dock. In line with Romy, the photograph is one among her “most-liked photos,” and had been met with feedback from her followers praising her flat abdomen and “wholesome” look after she posted it.
Nonetheless, in actuality, Romy stated that she was so hungry that day that she doesn’t keep in mind taking the photograph.
“Folks had been like: ‘Omg your abdomen is so flat, jealous. How did you get so wholesome?’” Romy recalled, including: “Little did they know I used to be in the midst of a really extreme consuming and train dysfunction.”
Romy then went on to recall how the feedback she obtained contributed to her disordered consuming, with the TikToker persevering with: “The extra compliments I obtained, the much less I ate.”
The TikTok person additionally acknowledged that she had struggled with the showering go well with measurement due to her physique dysmorphia, and had thought-about not posting the photograph as a result of “you may see that I’ve pores and skin”.
“It appears to be like cute and candid however I really took lots of of photographs as a result of I simply couldn’t get the pose proper,” Romy continued.
The clip, which has been considered greater than 1.1m instances, has prompted an outpouring of reward and gratitude for Romy’s transparency.
“Thanks for sharing this. Posts like these assist me see how deceptive photographs could be,” one individual commented.
One other stated: “That feels like such a painful time however thanks for sharing! It truthfully helps seeing different folks be so sincere.”
“That is actually eye-opening. Thanks for sharing,” another person added.
In one other video within the collection, Romy shared a photograph of herself that had been taken throughout a modelling shoot, with the physique positivity activist revealing that she obtained compliments praising her confidence in her physique.
Romy then revealed that, just like the story behind a lot of her different most-liked photographs, she was really struggling with an consuming dysfunction on the time.
“Little did they know I used to be in the midst of a really extreme consuming dysfunction,” she stated. “I used to be so nervous earlier than this as a result of I had put honey in my oatmeal. I didn’t submit an project earlier than this as a result of I used to be figuring out and I placed on 17 outfits earlier than sporting the baggiest factor I might discover.”
The Unbiased has contacted Romy for remark.
For anybody fighting the problems raised on this piece, consuming dysfunction charity Beat’s helpline is obtainable twelve months a yr on 0808 801 0677.
NCFED affords data, assets and counselling for these affected by consuming problems, in addition to their assist networks. Go to eating-disorders.org.uk or name 0845 838 2040.