Gabrielle Fitch had one of the most glamorous jobs in the world, but she almost lost her life trying to be the best in it.
The 21-year-old model, who used to participate in high-profile fashion shows, revealed how her anorexia almost led to brain damage and her death.
In her exclusive interview with Actors, Models and Talent for Christ (AMTC), Fitch described how her battle with the deadly disease began.
The AMTC SHINE Conference grad began her modelling career at 16. When she turned 18, she went to New York where top modelling agencies tried to recruit her.
According to Fitch, the agency she chose told her she was "a little too big," which shattered her self-esteem. She followed the agency's advice to lose weight, but in her desire to succeed, she lost too many pounds.
"I saw these models with 23-inch waists booking jobs. So I wanted a 22-inch waist. It was a cycle of thinking the skinnier I am, the prettier I am and the more successful I will be," Fitch said.
AMTC advised Fitch to change agencies, which she did. She was told to gain some pounds, but by then the obsession to lose weight had already taken too much hold.
The model said, "I would exercise all day long and eat 500 calories, if that."
Eventually Fitch was sent home to Texas and entered rehab. She battled anorexia for two years.
According to Fitch, she went down to an alarming 70 pounds at one point, which left her "so weak that [she] couldn't hold an eating utensil for more than two minutes."
The model remembered being told, "No one can help you and you are going to die. There is nothing we can do to save you because you are 70 pounds.
"This took me by surprise and was a wake up call for me, the fact that I was actually dying," Fitch said.
Asked how she got through, Fitch told Christian Post, "I have a very strong support team, and an accountability team, and above all, God. I ask God every day to give me strength. I had to create new habits and break old ones and break an addiction. Those main three things; support, accountability, and God. And also family. They help me along the path to get well."
For people battling with anorexia, Fitch leaves a beautiful message.
"The determination that you used to get to where you are, you need to use that determination and willpower and turn it the other way ... It is possible to beat an eating disorder even though it does not seem like it is ... You just have to lean on Christ, get right with Him and He will help you."
