A teenager from Countesthorpe is raising awareness of ARFID (Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder), after being crowned Miss Teen Leicestershire.
Mia Harrington, 15, was awarded the title last year. She will be competing in the Miss Teen Great Britain finals in October.
She plans to use her platform to talk about ARFID, an eating disorder which she struggles with daily. She will also raise money for ARFID Awareness UK.
Picture: Mia Harrington
ARFID, which stands for Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder, is an eating disorder in which individuals significantly limit the volume or variety of foods they consume, causing malnutrition, weight loss or psychological problems.
Unlike eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia, body image disturbance is not a root cause.
“Living with ARFID can be distressing and restrictive, especially being a teenage girl, as due to the lack of knowledge around ARFID this also comes with a lack of recourses,” Mia told the Leicester Times.
“Suffering with the disorder makes normal situations such as socialising, going on holiday and daily meal times really difficult. This has inspired me to use my platform provided by Miss Teen Great Britain to educate parents and professionals within Leicestershire on how to spot ARFID and how to support somebody that you suspect is suffering with ARFID,” she adds.
“My advice for other people with ARFID is to remember that recovery is a process and never blame yourself for your eating habits.”
Miss Teen Great Britain is a nationwide pageant for girls aged 10-19 yrs. It is designed to be a positive and confidence-building experience for young girls and teenagers.
Mia decided to apply after seeing a social media post from a previous winner, in which she described the ‘amazing things’ that the Miss Teen GB system offers.
“I actually forgot I had entered until a few weeks later when I received an email congratulating me on making it into the online semi finals!” she revealed.
“I answered some questions about myself and what i would do with my title if I was awarded it. A month later i received a call congratulating me on making it into the grand finals of Miss Teen Great Britain.
“It’s an amazing opportunity for teens to grow confidence, build friendships and be the best version of themselves. I can’t wait to see where this experience takes me!”
For more information, visit: https://www.missteengreatbritain.co.uk/
To find out more about ARFID, visit: https://www.arfidawarenessuk.org/
