MEET Alexandra Xu, a 16-year-old who uses her voice to educate the public on eating disorders and mental health. Having experienced the illness firsthand, she created her platform, Alexfoodfreedom, to bring awareness to a community that is often looked down on.
The existing widespread but erroneous conception that eating disorders primarily affect thin, young, white, heterosexual females is what most continue to believe. Alexander stresses that in truth, these vicious diseases do not discriminate on the basis of ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, or any other factor. Unfortunately, individuals who do not conform to the mold of the “typical eating disorder patient” are significantly less likely to seek help and receive treatment for their illnesses. With this organization, Alexandra strives to shatter this notion of the standard patient and make it clear that all minorities, including Asians, not only struggle with eating disorders at high rates but also face barriers to treatment due to prevailing stereotypes. “Asians, like all others, experience traumas and stressors (racism, abuse, the pressure to achieve perfection, etc.) that may make them more vulnerable to eating disorders. There is also a heavy stigma surrounding mental illness in the Asian community.” Given these factors, she believes is incredibly important to address Asian mental health and the disparities in mental health care that Asians experience.
Alexandra speaks about the road to recovery for eating disorders and mental health as it pertains to marginalized populations. She also works to dismantle weight stigma and other forms of oppression. Aiming to fight for equitable healthcare for all, she discusses various current events that are circulating through social justice and public health lens. “Having experienced an eating disorder firsthand, I understand how emotionally and physically devastating this illness is,” she recalled. Hoping to help others who were struggling with the disease just like she had, through research, Alexander learned that eating disorder activism and social justice were inextricably linked, which ultimately led to the start of her organization.
In the beginning, she was focused on gaining publicity and building her platform through social media, however, this idea to solely expand in the public eye distracted her from the real objective of assisting others and addressing the issues she was passionate about. As she and her organization grew, she eventually turned her focus on producing content that she felt was helpful and topics she genuinely enjoyed informing others about. Now, as she becomes more and more recognized, to stay organized and on top of her schedule, Alexandra creates a plan for herself when it comes to posting and setting a designated time each day to work on posts, repost content, and more. “It is so important to take breaks and rest so that you can be as energized and focused as possible when you work,” Alexandra says.
Despite having struggled with an eating disorder, her strong will and determination have allowed her to build a community that is encouraging, inspiring, and welcoming to everyone. By connecting with others through the media, she has been invited to interviews, has had her story shared through blog posts, and has had the amazing opportunity to meet people within the eating disorder activism community.
Her final advice to students looking to start their own platform: “When you encounter difficulties, always remember why you started your platform -- because you are passionate about your work. In the face of adversity, be confident in your ability; you will get through this because you love and are amazing at what you do. Let yourself take a breather once in a while.”
Written By: Rachael Ngai