Married at First Sight’s (MAFS) Bec Zacharia has shared an experience she had with a follower criticising her for eating a donut in her Instagram video.
Content warning: This article discusses disordered eating and restrictive dieting, which may be distressing or triggering for some readers.
During her time on MAFS, Bec spoke openly about her weight loss journey. “I’ve worked on my body, I’ve worked on my health and I’ve lost about 20 kilos, maybe a little bit more now,” she said in her introduction. Months on from her season airing, Bec has shared a DM she received calling out her eating habits.
“I wanted to come on here and address something. Yesterday I posted a story of a sprinkled donut that my dear darling grandmother had bought for me,” Bec’s video began. “I received a DM from a lady after posting that and that lady essentially said [to me] that ‘Your health journey is bollocks, right?’ Whatever. We’re not going to get into that.”
Bec went on to ask her followers whether there was anything wrong with posting videos on her own Instagram page where she eats sweet treats like donuts. “It does beg a question for me: if someone is on a health journey… am I doing the wrong thing by being realistic about what it is that I eat?” she said.
“This is about posting a donut. Is that wrong to do? I want to hear from you. Let me know because I thought that [it should be] moderation over restriction.”
The post was flooded by people assuring Bec that posting a video of herself eating a donut is perfectly fine. Bec’s MAFS co-star Sam Stanton replied: “Eat the cake, post about the cake, we will die one day, man we gotta live.”
The Golden Bachelor’s Janette Bendle added: “No, you have done absolutely nothing wrong. It’s your journey and your body.”
Bec tells Chattr why she decided to speak up on Instagram
In an exclusive interview with Chattr, Bec shared why she wanted to post about the DM. “I posted the video because I think there’s a bigger conversation to be had about judging what people eat based on small snapshots we see online,” she told Chattr.
“As someone who has previously suffered from eating disorders and yo-yo dieting and has now lost a significant amount of weight, I’m trying to get to show a side of life that feels healthy but also realistic to viewers. For me, that means moderation, not restriction.”
Bec went on to say that she doesn’t believe she should have to censor what food she’s eating online. “When I received the DM, I was initially frustrated, but I responded and explained exactly that to her. To her credit, once I challenged that perception and explained where I was coming from, she was receptive. However, her initial message should never have been sent in the first place is my view,” Bec admitted.
“I don’t think we should make unsolicited judgements about what somebody is eating online because we simply don’t know their history or relationship with food.”
If you or anyone you know is experiencing an eating disorder, we encourage you to reach out for support. You can call the Butterfly Foundation National Helpline on 1800 33 4673. For more information about eating disorders please visit the Butterfly Foundation website.
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