Singapore star Leon Markcus opens up on anorexia, while Hongkongers battle silently against eating disorders
Markcus has been able to use his music to raise awareness and debunk stereotypes, but experts say more needs to be done in Hong Kong for eating disorders to be seen as a mental illness
Singaporean singer-songwriter Leon Markcus is on a roll. His 2016 debut EP Mannequin topped the iTunes music charts in Singapore the same month it was released, while his latest single Alive is racing up the charts.
Despite his success, the 21-year-old pop star does not want to talk about career highs. He wants to discuss his personal lows.
Markcus is recovering from anorexia nervosa, an eating disorder characterised by an abnormally low body weight, fear of gaining weight and a distorted perception of body weight.
His single Alive is a candid portrayal of his battle; the lyrics and video debunking stereotypes about self-harm and anorexia.
“I was around 14 or 15 when I wrote Alive, a time when I was engulfed in self-harm and thought I didn’t belong on this planet. I used to bruise and cut myself intentionally,” says Markcus, speaking from Singapore.
While anorexia is the most visually identifiable form of eating disorder, others exist, from bulimia nervosa (binge eating followed by induced vomiting) and binge eating disorder (compulsive overeating episodes associated with negative psychological and social problems) to orthorexia, a relatively new and little-known disorder born out of an unhealthy obsession with clean eating. The causes of eating disorders are not clear but research points to factors including biological (irregular hormone functions, nutritional deficiencies) and environmental (dysfunctional family dynamics and cultural or peer pressure among friends and colleagues).