Her weight made her depressed and anxious. Exercise, healthy diet changed that – she’s lost 30kg
- Ignorance of mental health issues means people may not realise they suffer depression and anxiety, and there’s a stigma attached to asking a doctor for help
- Hong Kong-based teacher Georgia Toon is living proof that choosing mental wellness pays off. ‘I’m less anxious, and more enthusiastic about life,’ she says
Georgia Toon is living proof that eating better and exercising regularly can help keep anxiety and depression at bay.
The 27-year-old teacher, who has been living in Hong Kong for two years, had been overweight from her teens and suffered emotionally because of it. At 21 years old she weighed her heaviest – 104kg (229lb) – but since changing her diet and taking up exercise, she has shed about 30kg and does not experience the anxiety and low moods that she used to have.
“I’ve always been good-natured and confident, but when I was carrying all that extra weight, I felt very anxious, self-conscious, and sometimes depressed,” the UK native says. “I’d avoid social events and hide my body under layers of clothes. I compared myself to others and would beat myself up emotionally if I pigged out.”
She admits to feeling angry with herself a lot, also.
“It was easy to feel down and I had many low points because I was eating so poorly and was in such bad shape. Finally, I decided to put an end to the mental struggle and worked to transform my body and improve my health.”