NEXT Gen NYC star Georgia McCann has gotten vulnerable about her past struggles with an eating disorder and how she got on the other side.
The 24-year-old stars in the newly released Bravo reality series, which follows the children of well-known families as they navigate the challenges of adulthood.
Next Gen NYC star Georgia McCann has opened up about her struggles with an eating disorder and how she sought treatment[/caption]
Georgia stars on the recently released first season of the Bravo series[/caption]
Georgia revealed to People her friend first raised concerns to her over her skinny appearance[/caption]
Georgia further pulled back the curtain on her personal life during a sit-down with People, in which she opened up about the years she spent battling a debilitating eating disorder.
Following the premiere of Next Gen NYC in June, Georgia revealed her friend reached out with an urgent plea for her to get help after witnessing her drastically thinner physique.
“It was a literal wake-up call,” Georgia recalled of her friend’s intervention. “My friend from Los Angeles had come to the party, and she called me crying, ‘I’m really, really, really scared for you,’ she said. ‘I don’t want you to die.’ Because that’s when I was the thinnest I’d ever been.”
However, the call was a long time coming as Georgia revealed her private eating struggles began in middle school.
GEORGIA’S STRUGGLES
Thanks to her inner circle, she underwent inpatient treatment and is now on the path to recovery.
“I had to learn to love myself; that radical acceptance,” the reality star told the outlet.
“And it’s really allowed me to reframe my relationship with my body. I’m so proud of where am I today.”
Georgia further explained that her disordered eating was her way of “taking control” after facing a series of obstacles early in her teenage years.
“A lot of people struggle with body dysmorphia, but in my case, it was always centered around control,” the TV personality exclaimed.
“It started for me around eighth grade; there were things going on in my home life, things happening with my hormones; I felt depressed.
“What was happening to me was unmanageable, and this was a way to take control of something during a time where I couldn’t control anything else.”
She continued, “It was like a maladaptive coping mechanism of sorts. “Like, I was very, very aware of like how thin I was. But there was just something in my brain where I couldn’t stop. It’s the only way I felt safe.”
Georgia admitted that by June, her condition was “the most severe it’s ever been,” experiencing what she calls “flare-ups” for months at a time, where she juggled between restrictive eating and purging to deal with her emotions.
“I was battling a lot of depression and anxiety at the same time, and I just had no appetite,” Georgia shared. “I lost 25 pounds in like, two months. I weighed 88 pounds.”
‘I COULDN’T DO IT ANYMORE’
While she said her friend’s call jolted her awake, it was also fans’ comments that further raised alarm about her weight.
Georgie remembered one particular thread where fans focused heavily on her slender figure, which made her feel “ashamed” about her appearance.
Her parents also shared their concerns about her noticeable weight loss, leading to Georgia getting the help she needed.
“The best way to put it is I was just sick and tired of being sick and tired,” George confessed.
“I was just really, really not happy with how I was treating my body. I kept saying, ‘Why am I doing this to myself?’ Nothing about this coping mechanism was bringing me happiness. And that’s actually the antithesis of how I try and lead my life.”
She went on, “I was tired; tired of hiding, tired of lying. I was always making excuses when people would ask if I was okay. Like, ‘I’m fine, I just haven’t been hungry!’ And I couldn’t do it anymore.”
SEEKING HELP
Georgia’s friend then recommended a treatment program that she, herself, checked into, which helped the TV star “let go of control,” using dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) and other tools, that she said, “really worked for me.”
Now, newly out of treatment, Georgia is taking what she’s learned to view her body without judgment, consuming what feels good for her body, and avoiding the scale.
“I know it sounds cheesy, but I’m thankful I’m alive,” Georgia told the publication. “The weight I was down to, I could have died. I wasn’t a medical emergency, but I was very close to it.
So, I feel grateful for every moment, and every bite of food I take now.”
Bravo has yet to give the go-ahead for a second season of Next Gen NYC, although it was the network’s most-watched series premiere of all time.
The cast also includes Ariana Biermann, Charlie Zakkour, Riley Burruss, Hudson McLeroy, Gia Guidice, Ava Dash, Brooks Marks, Emira D’Spain, and Shai Fruchter.
Georgia shared she spent weeks in treatment and is now on the road to recovery[/caption]
Next Gen NYC has yet to get green lit for a second season[/caption]
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call or text the National Eating Disorders Association at 800-931-2237, or chat with volunteers online
