Tess Holliday Shuts Down Critic Questioning Her Anorexia Diagnosis

The 38-year-old model received her eating disorder diagnosis in May 2021, however one social media user made it clear they believed she’s “not anorexic” and instead “just wanted attention.”

In a new video, the model specifically responded to a user who wrote, “What mistakes r (sic) u (sic) owning? Maybe own the fact ur (sic) not anorexic and just wanted attention? No one wants u (sic) dead, we just want u (sic) to cut the bull.”

“Just because you don’t like that I exist in a larger body and I deal with a restrictive eating disorder, doesn’t give you the right to just be a jerk,” Holliday said, replying to the comment in the video.

Holliday then further educated her followers about misconceptions revolving around restrictive eating disorders and how they can affect “someone in a larger body”.

She then referred viewers to a 2022 New York Times article titled “You Don’t Look Anorexic,” which featured people with larger bodies who have restrictive eating disorders. According to the publication, research shows assumptions about eating disorders are often wrong and that many “larger-bodied people are starving themselves.”

“I also can’t blame you for not knowing because I myself did not know. The more folks that talk about it and the more folks that normalize it, then the less that we will have to deal with people like this, who think that they deserve to say whatever because they don’t like what they are hearing or seeing,” Holliday said.

Holliday also opened up about her recovery process and how she is dealing with the diagnosis, saying that she is not yet in a “good place” with her disorder.

“I’m currently just managing things the best I can, and if you don’t like what I’m saying or how I talk about my lived experiences, then there are a million other people that you can follow, bully, harass, whatever,” Holliday concluded.

This is not the first time Holliday has responded to a social media troll. Holliday recently called out another follower for only following “really big fat ppl” for weight loss inspiration.

“That is all happening in a bubble. You are seeking out content of larger-bodied individuals as a way to make yourself feel better, which is kind of a weird thing in general, especially when I can guarantee a lot of the larger-bodied individuals you’re following have happy, full lives not despite them being fat, but they just are,” began the model and body positivity activist.

“I’m used to people using me as their ‘Before’ pictures and inspo but the reality is that I’ve gotten fatter over the years, my weight’s fluctuated, but the one thing that I have maintained through all of this is my joy,” she continued. “I am fatter right now than I’ve been in a while, but I’m also happier. There’s so many people commenting lately saying they can see my joy radiating and that’s how other people see me.”