Anorexic teen battles illness to reach beauty contest final

An anorexic teenager who once weighed less than six stone yesterday told how she has battled the illness to reach the final of a national beauty contest.

Bianca Greenfield, 17, started to suffer from the illness around two-and-a-half years ago.

But the teen, whose weight dropped to just 5st 10lb at one point, is now in recovery at a stable weight 8st 8lb.

A friend entered her into the Teen Queen UK beauty competition, and the 17-year-old has battled opposition from thousands of hopefuls across the country to make it to the final on August 19.

Today Bianca, from Walton, Leicestershire, said although it would be great to win the contest, her main aim is for her story to help other people battle their own problems.

"The main thing I really want out of everything is to show anyone who has negative views of themselves that you really can do it," she said.

"Even if I could help one person it would make everything worth it.

"I'm so excited about the final, I get a bit nervous when I start thinking about it, but it's so exciting.

"The fact that I'm going is everything to me anyway, but if I can turn round and say to someone, 'look where I was, on death's doorstep, and look where I am now', then it might help."