DECATUR, Ill. (WAND) — Hannah Schmitz wants you to live well.
The Charleston native jumped into the world of wellness and social media head first after a career in accounting — and she hasn't looked back.
"There is a direct correlation between mental health and physical health," she said. "Being able to share my own journey and then help others along theirs, there's nothing that compares to it."
But that journey hasn't always been easy. Like many people who want to get fit or eat better, Schmitz struggled in her relationship with food. She limited herself to only 1200 calories per day — which snowballed into additional problems.
"I would be so hungry at night, I would binge eat or eat by myself because I was embarrassed to eat in front of others," Schmitz said.
A study by STRIPED and other eating disorder awareness groups found around nine percent of Americans will struggle with an eating disorder. Some experts feel constant comparisons on social media are driving those numbers even higher.
"People struggling with eating concerns may feel 'that's what I'm supposed look like,'" said Cheri Harrison, a licensed counselor with Memorial Health. "There's a lot of good information out there on social media, but there's a lot of information that's inaccurate or incorrect."
But that's why Schmitz wants to use her platform as a positive tool for physical and mental health.
"More often than not, I'll have clients that come to me with some kind of negative relationship with food," Schmitz said. "Learning that food is great and it is our source of energy and our source of brain power and all of these positive impacts it can have on us has been a big part of my journey."
That journey only grows stronger with each client she helps.
"Find those people on social media who do show their realness behind the scenes," Schmitz said. "If you are not already seeing that, go out searching for that."
If you or someone you know is struggling with an eating disorder, click here for additional resources.
