Labour MP opens up about anorexia battle: I see my body and I feel disgust'

"My frustration about my physical form turned into obsession. I see my body and I feel disgust, repulsion. I fear that my amputation took away my femininity, my ability to be yearned for, my womanhood pauperised, trapped in a body that does not reflect my mind or myself."

"Many disabled women, much like herself, find their struggles linked to their own body image and identity. The Labour MP for Penistone and Stocksbridge, who is also a prominent disability campaigner, developed anorexia at 14 following the amputation of her leg. The illness persisted for four years, leading to hair loss and the cessation of her period."

Marie Tidball, Labour MP for Penistone and Stocksbridge and disability campaigner, publicly shared her experience with anorexia that began at age 14 following leg amputation. The condition persisted for four years, causing hair loss and menstrual cessation. Tidball emphasized that disabled women often experience eating disorders connected to body image and identity issues. She described feeling disgust toward her body and fearing her amputation diminished her femininity and womanhood. Speaking during an International Women's Day Commons debate, she characterized anorexia as an addiction that gradually developed, stemming from frustration about her physical form transforming into obsession.

Read at www.independent.co.uk