In a remarkable tale of triumphing over life-threatening anorexia, a young woman from the United Kingdom credits chocolate for helping her recover.

Due to her serious fight with anorexia, Annie Windley, a 21-year-old from Derbyshire, East Midlands, saw her weight drop to a dangerously low 29 kg (4.5 stone). She subsisted on a meager diet of one slice of bread with jam per day for five arduous years. She was nearly killed by the illness, which led to five hospital stays. However, the catalyst for her road to recovery was a single Lindt Lindor chocolate.

Annie talked about how she overcame her eating condition after enjoying a chocolate treat one evening in an emotional interview  She had been craving it, and to her surprise, eating the piece of chocolate didn’t lead to weight gain. This realization—paired with the absence of the feared consequences—slowly chipped away at her deep-rooted anxieties around food. Over time, she found the courage to start eating normally again, leading to a healthier weight of 45kg (7 stone).

Annie’s struggle with anorexia began at the age of 15 when she became obsessed with counting calories and avoiding foods like carbohydrates, meat, and dairy. The fear of gaining weight consumed her, and she couldn’t even be near a plate of food without feeling intense anxiety. She vividly remembers how simply being near lasagne would cause her to shake and panic. As the disorder took hold, Annie’s health deteriorated, and she was even at risk of heart failure due to malnutrition.

Annie’s life started to spiral when she attended Monkton Combe boarding school, where she faced bullying for her weight loss. Her obsession with dieting worsened, and her performance in school suffered. She was pulled from sports teams, monitored closely by school nurses, and gradually withdrew from social activities. At home, her difficult relationship with her parents further fueled her destructive behavior, leaving her focused solely on controlling her weight.

Despite her struggles, Annie eventually found the strength to fight back. After moving back to Derbyshire, she received support from her uncle, who helped her tackle her fear of gaining weight. In 2017, she began exercising again and introduced balanced meals into her diet. She now follows a healthy eating plan that includes crumpets for breakfast, smashed avocado on toast, poached eggs, and salmon for lunch and dinner, with protein bars as snacks.

Even though Annie’s road to rehabilitation has been difficult, she now considers her accomplishments. She acknowledges that her struggle with anorexia has prevented her from taking advantage of significant possibilities, like pursuing her degree, and regrets not seeking assistance sooner. “I wish I could tell my younger self to stop,” she said. “I’ve missed out on so much.”

Annie is in a much healthier place now, with a supportive partner and new friends all around her. She emphasizes, however, that eating disorders are a complicated mental health struggle that is frequently difficult for others to comprehend; they are not about pursuing attention. Annie hopes that by sharing her experience, others may be encouraged to get assistance before it’s too late as she continues to recover.