Hello and welcome to my fundraising page!

On July 6th, 2008, I will be running 10km for Beat (formally the Eating Disorders Association); I am doing this for three reasons:

(a) To Raise Awareness
(b) To Raise money for a cause that I really believe in
(c) To give my own eating disorder one final slap in the face and say goodbye to a whole decade of body unhappiness

Eating Disorders affect over 1 million men and women in the UK; given the huge impact that eating disorders have on families - millions of people are currently affected by the misery that an eating disorder can cause.  Millions more are affected by general body unhappiness - how many women do you know who feel genuinely happy about their weight and shape?

Eating Disorders carry the highest  mortality rate of any mental illness

Eating Disorders are not just a 'dieting fad' that teenage girls go through; sufferers cannot just snap out of their behaviour

There is no 'type' of person who develops an eating disorder - they affect both men and women from all races and classes.  Having an eating disorder is not a sign of selfishness, it's a sign of unhappiness

I hope that you can dig deep, and even if you don't donate, do one thing: be happy with your own body;  I've put a picture of four happy women with 'normal' bodies on this page to help you feel good about yourself, whether you're a size 8 or a size 18.  There is so much more to life than shape and weight - so enjoy yourself!

Thanks for your support

Anna xxx