A former anorexic whose weight plummeted five stones after being obsessed with online fitness videos is now vying to be crowned Miss England after beating the disease.
Jess Hynes, 21, from Chester, suffered from anorexia for two years after obsessing over the perfect body image she was exposed to on social media.
The psychology student began obsessing over her weight and achieving the “perfect healthy lifestyle” and soon began exercising excessively during lockdown after watching exercise videos online. She went down to only five stones.
Surprisingly, after realizing she had a problem, she visited her GP only to be told she was fine and should “eat some more cakes”.
Later, Jess was hospitalized and overcame her food demons by undergoing cognitive behavioral therapy, and after regaining her weight to a healthier 8 stone, 5 foot 6 inches, Jess worked up the courage to participate in the Miss Cheshire beauty pageant.
And last week she was stunned to be crowned the winner at a ceremony in Manchester, automatically earning her a place in the Miss England 2022 final.
Jess Hynes, 21, suffered from anorexia for two years as she yearned for the perfect body image. After gaining weight back to eight stones healthier, the 5-foot-6 Jess steeled herself to enter the Miss Cheshire beauty pageant.
The psychology student began to obsess over her weight and started exercising excessively during lockdown after watching fitness videos by Joe Wicks and Chloe Ting. She in the photo at eight stones after overcoming the disease.
Jess said she became obsessed with achieving the ‘perfect healthy lifestyle’ but inadvertently was doing the exact opposite when she slipped down to fifth place. Pictured on 5st during the summer of 2021 while battling anorexia
Jess now wants to use her platform as a beauty queen and anorexia survivor to help and inspire others who may be suffering from eating disorders.
She said: ‘I’ve come a long way and now I look back and can’t believe how it used to be. I started having eating problems at the age of 18 when I started university life but it got worse during the first lockdown.
“I was seeing all these fitness gurus saying that you can do all these workouts at home. With too much time on my hands, I became obsessed with the perfect healthy lifestyle.
‘I was working in excessive amounts, but I was also cutting back on food. My lowest weight was [5st], which surprises people. Biologically you are living but you are not living.
I knew that I was not living and that I was not only hurting myself, but also others who cared about me. I will never forget how upset my mom was when I was in the hospital and I don’t want to put her through that again.
Jess now wants to use her platform as a beauty queen and anorexia survivor to help and inspire others who may be suffering from eating disorders.
After gaining weight back to a healthier 8 stone, the 5-foot-6 Jess (pictured before her recovery) steeled herself to enter the Miss Cheshire beauty pageant.
‘When I was at my lowest weight, I didn’t go to the doctors for a while. It was [6st]and the doctor weighed me and told me I was fine and to eat more cakes.’
She continued: ‘It’s pretty hard to turn your life around when you’re so caught up in losing weight. I used cognitive behavioral therapy which I still have remotely and keep appointments every few weeks.
“I got my social life back and came back to seeing food as something to enjoy and nourish my body. I would say I have 2,000 calories a day now. My metabolism has changed. I starved it for so long that I wanted to eat it all. Now I snack a lot more.
“I would say that social networks are the main cause behind this. I’m a perfectionist and on social media you have unrealistic versions of what “perfect” is supposed to be. It’s a good environment on social media, but it can be quite toxic.
“So instead of being ‘perfect,’ I want to show that we all also have insecurities and make mistakes because we’re all different and you never know what someone is going through.”
Last week, Jess (pictured with the condition) was stunned to be crowned the winner at a ceremony in Manchester, automatically earning her a place in the Miss England 2022 final.
After realizing she had a problem, she visited her GP only to be told she was fine and should “eat some more cakes”.
Jess decided to enter her first beauty pageant even though she had never heard of Miss England before as a way to regain her “sense of self worth”.
She’s also recently signed to a modeling agency in London, as well as having her sights set on the Miss England crown.
She added: ‘I didn’t even know what Miss England was, it was told to me by word of mouth. I didn’t really think it would be an option for me until I recovered from anorexia, when I thought I should go in because I might never get into it.
“I entered Miss England because first I hoped to show myself that I can be confident and now I have the strength that I didn’t have last year to do it this year.
Jess decided to enter her first beauty pageant even though she had never heard of Miss England before as a way to regain her “sense of self worth”.
Jess will take part in the Miss England final on October 17 at the Heart of England Conference and Events Center in Coventry.
“I lost my sense of self-esteem for two years and I wanted to get it back. I wanted to spread awareness about anorexia and the damage it can cause, but also inspire other people who suffer from it to find the strength to recover.
I have always liked to live in the moment and that is why Miss England for me is so exciting because you never know what you could achieve with ambition.
“I am looking to get involved with Beat, the eating disorder charity, as they have close links with Miss England. My goal from the beginning has always been to inspire young women who can be in the same position as me.’
Jess will take part in the Miss England final on October 17 at the Heart of England Conference and Events Center in Coventry.
The winner qualifies for the 71st Miss World Beauty with a Purpose final.
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