“Tia, why aren’t you eating pizza?” her friends would ask. Every little bite of food made Tia feel guilty. The plump girl always makes sure that she is eating just enough so that she never feels hungry.

Tia’s size and the food she consumes are hot topics within her family. She openly admits that she has body image issues and that unhealthy binging behaviour often prevented her from living a productive life in the past. Tia’s figure has put her in the spotlight and it has brought her the kind of attention that nobody wants. But there is actually a common element to all this scrutiny.

It mirrors the extremely painful, self-conscious feelings a young person may experience in their early teenage years. When they experience body shaming or struggle with body image issues, these feelings can be even more intense, and they can often be overwhelming.

She appears to be fighting back against all of the harshness of the people that swirl around her by proclaiming, “This is who I am, and I am OK with the way I look.” After someone broke up with her because of the way she looks, she just had to say, “I do have body image problems, but I don’t let them rule my life, at all.” she said. “And there are bigger issues in the world than how I might feel about myself and stuff like that.”

Then there’s the story of her painful experience of sex, the way she was made fun of because of her plumpy body. When her Prince Charming dumped her, her rare talent for writing allowed her a form of payback that only few teenagers can imagine.

Tia turned her heartbreak into success. She wrote several blogs about their relationship that became popular on social media. Tia doesn’t seem to relish the revenge and still won’t reveal the name of the man.

Now a working mother with a child, Tia credits her mental health, and her survival, to a close protective group that includes family, friends, and the supportive co-workers she regularly depends on. Plus, there’s her books.

Tia once told her friend, “I feel so comfortable in my own skin. I really like how I look, I like who I am. I like everyone that I surround myself with. Obviously, I have insecurities, but they don’t hold me back. That’s why I’m not afraid.” But not everyone has a supportive group close by when they need it most. When they are overwhelmed by food issues, and the result is body shaming, binge eating, or anorexia, many teens don’t know that a powerful group support system can be an option for them, too.

*Pseudonym to conceal the identity