The 23-year-old wrote: "When did being thin become more important than being healthy?" revealing, "I recently went to a naturopath for the first time in my life. I told her about my anxiety around food and my obsession with dieting. She phrased a pivotal question in such a way that struck a chord with me: what other things could you be thinking about if you didn't spend all your time thinking about your diet?"
"I suddenly remembered all the activities I love that used to occupy my time," the actress wrote. "At some point in my life, I allowed my obsession with being thin to consume me, and I refused to make room in my mind for any other concerns."
"Somehow I had stripped myself of all the pastimes that brought me joy, and all that was left of me was my anxiety around food. My passion for education, cinema, music, etc. — all the interests that used to occupy my mind — had been eaten away by my desire to be thin, and it made me miserable."
"I'm done believing in the idea that there's a thinner, happier version of me on the other side of all the tireless effort. Your body type is subject to genetics, and while eating nutrient-dense foods and exercising regularly will make you healthier, it will not necessarily make you thinner, and the current system fails to make that distinction."
Mendes finished with the hashtag, #Imdonewithdieting, and encouraged her fans to do the same.
Preach, girl! 🙌
This article originally appeared on marie claire.
