After checking herself into rehab last year for bulimia and self-harming, Demi Lovato has become an important figure in the crusade against eating disorders.
The singer is collaborating with the National Eating Disorders Awareness week (NEDAwareness Week) in a three week-long event which aims to raise awareness and support individual and families affected by eating disorders. The campaign is organized by the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) and runs through March 3rd.
Eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia affect as many as 10 million females and 1 million males in the U.S. according to NEDA.
Lovato has been struggling with eating disorders for many years. "I started overeating when I was about eight; I was a binge eater. I would bake a whole plate of cookies and eat them all. Then when I turned 12 I was bullied in school and they called me fat. I went from being an overeater to stopping eating and I lost about 30lb. From then on I continued under eating, but my weight plateaued," she said according to The Daily Mail.
Now the songstress has turned to Twitter, where she has close to 6 million followers, to help spread her message on the eating disorders.
On Sunday she tweeted from her account @ddlovato "24 million Americans are affected by eating disorders. Everybody Knows Somebody. #NEDAwareness."
Earlier this week she tweeted, "Most models are thinner than 98% of Americans. Instead of trying to change our bodies, how about we try to change our culture? #NEDAwareness" and "Research funding per individual: Alzheimer’s $88, Schizophrenia $81, Autism $44. Eating disorders? $0.93. Insufficient. #NEDAwareness
But Lovato's work in raising awareness about eating disorders does not end with her collaboration with NEDA. She is giving fans an insider view to her very personal battle and her path to recovery since leaving a rehab facility last year in a new documentary "Demi Lovato: Stay Strong" airing March 6. Partnered with MTV, the documentary follows Lovato into her most private moments as she deals with a very public eating disorder and self-harming.
It will include scenes of the singer performing material from her very personal album "Unbroken" which includes the single "Skyscraper" which deputed at #10 on the Billboard Hot 100.
"I wanted to share my story but I knew it had to be honest, it had to be real," Lovato said in a statement according to MTV. "I have daily challenges but so do many kids who are struggling to feel comfortable in their own skin. If opening up and sharing my story inspires even one person to stay strong or to get the help they need, I've succeeded."