According to Eating Disorders by Numbers, an eating disorder affects at least nine percent of the population worldwide. One woman, Ranae von Meding, is addressing this with a podcast aiming to challenge the stigma and help those suffering with an eating disorder. Ranae is calling for people willing to share their eating disorder story to take part in her podcast.

Ranae is a survivor of an eating disorder. For over a decade, her life was dictated by bulimia, with periods of starvation followed by excessive binging and purging. It got to a point where, for her, it was life or death. She was one of the lucky ones and was able to access the help that she needed. Ranae is now what you may call ‘recovered’, yet it is something which she still has to fight against every single day of her life.

Even though eating disorders are a mental illness, many view it as a physical condition. Unfortunately they are complex illnesses that many people battle with throughout their lives. Adding to the problem, there is still a huge amount of shame surrounding disordered eating. Many suffer in silence and never reach out for help.

We live in a world where there is increasing pressure to look a certain way. Developing an eating disorder is quite often not about size, but it’s certainly always impacted by society and its view on what is an acceptable body. Eating disorders aren’t just about those who ‘look’ sick. There can be all kinds of illnesses that are hidden. Ranae’s certainly was for a large portion of the time.

Through the new podcast series, produced by Fearghal Curtis in association with Tall Tales Podcast, Ranae aims to explore the reasons why we develop eating disorders or disordered eating. She wants to explore the various ways in which we find our personal recovery. Ranae is calling out for people who are willing to talk to her. Whether you are still in the midst of your journey or perhaps you are supporting a loved one as they struggle with this illness. You can contact Ranae at [email protected]​ or through her social media.

Ranae’s goal is to begin breaking down the stigma, the fear and the shame that still surround eating disorders and disordered eating. She hopes that guests will share their stories and break down walls for others to do the same.