Torment of eating disorders, self-image growing

Now, one year into recovery, Zhang has launched and curated an exhibition being held at the Shanghai Himalayas Museum from May 14 to June 14－the first of its kind in China to center on eating disorders and body shaming, the act of deriding or mocking a person's physical appearance.

More than 40 items, including installations, paintings, photographs and poems, which Zhang collected from over 30 professional artists and amateurs through social media platforms, are on display at the exhibition.

The items include: paintings under the title "Self-Definition" by Jiang Wenfeng, an illustrator and art student at Wuhan University, Hubei province; "Fruit"－installations made of clay, acrylic and recyclable materials by Li Yuyuan, a student at Shanghai Theatre Academy; and "Trapped", an animation by Julia Chen, a student at the School of Visual Arts in New York.

The event has also attracted people with eating disorders, who share their stories. When it opened last month, these people held a collective wedding ceremony with each participant wearing a white veil.

Zhang, 25, who was born and raised in Shanghai, said, "We wanted to say that we were 'marrying' ourselves first before we could love others."

Her weight has now risen to about 60kg, she has not taken any medication relating to her diet for a year and is ready to finish university next year.

"As survivors, we want to raise awareness of eating disorders and body shaming, as well as give hope to people who are experiencing such problems. We want to tell them they are not alone and that everything will be fine," Zhang said.