Ireland rugby star Andrew Porter: 'After Mum's death, I slowly stopped eating'

"It wasn't as if my parents said anything: my dad was a big man and had played rugby for Kilkenny College, Carlow and Old Wesley - in fact, many of his contemporaries would tell me they used to dread him, because in spite of his size, he was a back, so he'd be running over the top to destroy you."

"I idolised my dad and wanted to eat dad-sized portions of food, but I was merely a schoolboy with a big appetite. Mum had a completely normal attitude towards food, but somehow I'd internalised this idea that in order to fit in, I had to shrink myself, physically and mentally."

Leinster and Ireland rugby star Andrew Porter experienced disordered eating that crept up on him after the loss of his mother and also endured suicidal thoughts. He idolised a large, rugby-playing father who had competed for Kilkenny College, Carlow and Old Wesley and wanted to eat 'dad-sized' portions despite being a schoolboy with a big appetite. His mother maintained a normal attitude toward food, but Porter internalised a belief that he needed to shrink himself physically and mentally to fit in, contributing to prolonged psychological distress.

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