How the Chloë Grande blog is helping people recover from eating disorders

Chloë Grande was one of approximately one million Canadians who have been diagnosed with an eating disorder.

At the age of 15, Grande developed anorexia nervosa, an emotional disorder characterized by an obsessive desire to lose weight by refusing to eat. With the support of McMaster Children’s Hospital and family-based therapy, she recovered enough to be able to go away for university, grad school and work in Toronto as a communication specialist.

But when the COVID-19 pandemic struck, Grande relapsed with her eating disorder as a coping mechanism to deal with her anxiety and stress.

After receiving help from a new therapist, she was inspired to create an eating disorder recovery blog to share her story and encourage others experiencing similar struggles.

“I want people to feel less alone because when I was at my sickest, I thought I was the only one going through this and it was absolutely terrifying,” Grande said in an interview on Morning Live Thursday.

“If there had been someone blogging and writing about what they’re going through at the time that I could have read, I think it would’ve really affected me in a positive light.”

The blog, which launched in early 2021, includes a variety of articles from signs of an eating disorder to helpful tips on how to recover.

The online platform has also gained international attention as Grande has been featured in a documentary created by two Toronto women and she has been interviewed by a newspaper in Texas.

“My only hope is that people can learn and other people can recognize warning signs and that hopefully we can catch these illnesses earlier on before they cause so much damage to people’s lives,” she said.

Grande said she aspires to take the blog to greater heights, including professional speaking opportunities and training for healthcare professionals and educators on how to better engage with individuals who have eating disorders.