Anorexic gym addict whose weight fell to 6st finally hit a healthy weight

A gym-addicted anorexic whose skeletal body left nurses mistaking her for a cancer patient has battled to overcome her condition.

Kat Manzullo, 27, developed anorexia ten years ago after years of childhood bullying left her with a low self-esteem and thinking she was overweight.

From the age of 18 she reduced her portion sizes before cutting out solid foods altogether and exercised at the gym five days a week.

At her lowest point she weighed little over six stone, which for her 5ft 5ins frame put her at a dangerously low Body Mass Index of 15 – a healthy BMI is between 18.5 and 25.

While trying to access the help she desperately needed in hospital, nurses confused her for a cancer patient due to her emaciated features and protruding bones.

Kat Manzullo, 27, saw her weight plummet to just over six stone (left). She battled to overcome the eating disorder after nurses mistook her for a cancer patient and now weighs 7st 7lbs

Nurses thought Mrs Manzullo, from Fort Walton Beach in Florida, was a cancer patient after her weight dropped to just over six stone

This gave Mrs Manzullo, from Fort Walton Beach, Florida, was determined not to let the condition ruin her life.

Spurred on by husband Kevin, 31, she finally managed to hit a healthy weight two weeks ago.

Mrs Manzullo, a medical student, said: ‘I was hopeless and helpless, anorexia had gotten me. 

‘It was absolutely horrible I was so exhausted all the time, I could barely function and was just wasting away on the couch.

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‘After being hospitalised one nurse thought I had cancer or aids because my cheeks were so sunken and hollow, all of my ribs stuck out, my limbs were like sticks.

‘I was horribly skeletal and was wasting away, I looked like a cancer patient, and at that point I could barely stand up without blacking out.

‘I’d also suffer with chronic neck and back pain from muscle wastage where my body was consuming anything it could to keep me alive.

‘Over the years I’ve had to battle so hard, but couldn’t get the treatment I needed due to my insurance each time I relapsed it was worse than the last.

‘When a nurse believed I was a cancer patient it was really shocking, that was one of the triggers that made me realise I had to battle to get my life on track.

‘Eating disorders are really difficult to deal with mentally, I’ve really struggled dealing with weight gain but my husband has been there for me every step of the way.

‘He’s been very supportive and I can’t imagine how hard it’s been for him to watching the woman he loves wasting away before his eyes.

Mrs Manzullo believes her anorexia started in childhood (left) and developed in her teenage years (right)

Kat and husband Kevin Manzullo, pictured at healthy weight before one of her worst relapses, has battled back to a healthy weight and wants to help others with eating disorders

She was admitted to hospital seven times with her protruding bones making nursing staff mistake her for being a cancer patient

‘I wanted to get better for my husband, when you’re in that bad a state you’re just existing and now I want to start living my life again.’

Mrs Manzullo believes her eating disorder began at the age of seven, when her school friends called her ‘annoying’ and would hide from her at lunchtimes.

She blamed their bullying on her weight and from there her low self-esteem led her to develop an eating disorder.

She added: ‘The first time I thought I was fat was when I was seven, it started because of the bullying at school and from then I started being really picky with fatty foods.

‘They used to tell me I was put on earth to annoy people, they would shun me whenever they could and even ran away from me on lunchtimes – they would deliberately pretend I wasn’t there.’

At the age of 18, Mrs Manzullo restricted her food intake to 1,000 calories a day and would regularly force herself to be sick if she had eaten more.

After her first hospitalisation for anorexia in 2009, she claims she was denied access to specialist rehabilitation treatment because of her medical insurance.

She said: ‘My insurance cut my treatment short and I was only getting help for limited periods of time – they classified anorexia as a ‘lifestyle choice’ rather than an illness.

‘The first couple of times after getting some help I hoped I’d beaten anorexia and wouldn’t be hospitalised any more, but the treatment never dealt with the mental health battle I had against anorexia.’

Since then she was hospitalised seven times. In May last year, she was forced to drop out of nursing school after her weight fell to a skeletal 6 stone 4lbs.

After further treatment and support from her family, she was determined to overcome her condition – and this month she reached a healthy weight of 7 stone 7lbs.

‘The urge to lose weight will always be with me, it’s always going to be a tough battle but I want to lead a happy life so it’s worth fighting,’ she said.

‘I’m hoping to return to school soon so I can help other people with eating disorders and for that I need to be well.’

For more information about eating disorders, visit Beat, the charity supporting anyone affected by eating disorders or difficulties with food, weight and shape.