TEEN'S TORMENT: ‘I WAS AFRAID TO DRINK WATER'

ELISE’S MIND PLAYED CRUEL TRICKS ON HER

As a teenager, Elise Marcianti was afraid to drink water. The 15-year-old was in the grips of an eating disorder that saw her weight shrink to just 38kg.

At her lowest, simply drinking water or inhaling the smell of food made her fear she’d gain weight.

Now 21, Elise is sharing her road to recovery from anorexia nervosa.

“I hope all young women can accept their bodies and be proud of who they are, irrespective of their size and shape,” Elise, from Melbourne, VIC, tells New Idea.

Her journey to “hell” started after her beloved grandma passed away.