Joey Muthengi has gone public about her anorexia and bulimia experiences revealing that she developed eating disorders in her teenage years.
While in high school, the media personality said she suffered bulimia, a potentially life-threatening psychological eating disorder characterized by consumption of a large quantity of food followed by inappropriate methods to avoid weight gain such as self-induced vomiting.
Through a series of Twitter posts Sunday, the former Citizen TV news anchor said the disorder continued into her college years.
“I was looking back at some photos of myself in what you may consider my ‘prime time years and I honestly couldn’t recognize myself. I went to Caucasian Schools for a majority of my teen/high school/college life and being thin was the in thing. If you couldn’t show a bit of your hip bones and flat tummy then go to the gym.
“So I grew up conditioned not to accept anything other than being a skinny Becky. I then developed an eating disorder. In High School I would eat all the food and throw up in the bathroom later. What they don’t tell you about bulimia is that you end up consuming more cals that way,” wrote Ms Muthengi.
The former 10 over 10 show presenter said she got the disorder under control for a few years after college. However, after getting a job on TV, she developed anorexia.
Joey, who quit TV before making her comeback on radio after a six-year hiatus, said the pressure to look thin on television made her stop eating.
I remember walking into my moms Kitchen with sweatpants falling off of my waist and her saying…I don’t like this job for you. I had never told her about my anorexia/bulimia but it was like she knew. She told me I looked like I was sick
— Joey from Friends (@Joey_Muthengi) August 9, 2020
According to Joey, she might have looked great on TV but she was feeling awful on the inside.
“I got it under control for a few years after then somehow I landed on TV. Then I stopped eating at all. I looked great in those dresses they gave me but underneath I was suffering.
“I felt so much pressure to maintain this image that I just stopped eating. Girls in the hallway would ask me…”My God Joey how do you stay so thin?” And I would just laugh and keep it moving,” she recounted.
The Capital FM radio presenter said she decided to put her health first after someone sent her a picture of how she used to look before
“I was looking back at some photos of myself in what you may consider my ‘prime time years and I honestly couldn’t recognize myself.
The job had stressed me to the point of me losing myself. Someone had sent me this pic of what I looked like before and thats when I decided to put my health first pic.twitter.com/84lWgI3YwJ
— Joey from Friends (@Joey_Muthengi) August 9, 2020
Joey also shared a current picture of her transformation saying she is proud of herself.
“Someone might look great on the outside but feel awful inside. I was in so much pain when this pic was taken.
“It’s been 2 decades for me. I’m still fighting this demon that is rarely spoken about in African culture. But I’m fighting every day.
“I am damn proud of myself for making it here and even more proud of myself for appreciating how God made me,” she concluded.
So this is me now. And I am damn proud of myself for making it here and even more proud of myself for appreciating how God made me.
-End- pic.twitter.com/tV54gnGdJi— Joey from Friends (@Joey_Muthengi) August 9, 2020
