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As the weeks turned into months, Claire’s world narrowed until it consisted of nothing but numbers. Meals were no longer sources of nourishment or social connection; they were complex mathematical equations that had to be solved with the least possible sum. Every calorie was scrutinized, every gram of fat was feared, and every craving was treated as a moral failure. To the outside world, Claire appeared to be the quintessential success story of the “health journey.” She was showered with praise that grew louder as her frame grew smaller. Friends and acquaintances, conditioned by a society that equates thinness with vitality, told her she looked “amazing.” To Claire, each compliment felt like a medal pinned onto a dying soldier—a validation of the very behavior that was slowly hollowing her out from the inside.
