AFL great Brendan Fevola’s step-daughter Mia reveals mental health battle and struggle to gain weight following coeliac disease diagnosis
Mia Fevola revealed her shocking coeliac disease diagnosis in 2021 after she was blindsided with it following a blood test.
Over a year later, the step-daughter to AFL player Brendan Fevola, 23, has opened up about the mental health issues the illness has caused in an Instagram post on Friday.
After being forced to overturn her entire lifestyle, Fevola said she struggled to maintain a healthy relationship with food and manage her stress levels.
The MALLT Collective founder shared a side-by-side progress of her weight since 2021 after she struggled to gain weight throughout her teen years.
‘I’ve never had an unhealthy relationship with food but it was the combination of coeliac disease and the way stress would affect my appetite,’ she said.
Mia Fevola, 23, (pictured) revealed her shocking coeliac disease diagnosis in 2021 after she was blindsided with it following a blood test
She went on to say she found it difficult to look at her before picture and confessed she has struggled with weight fluctuations since her diagnosis.
‘I’ve worked so hard on my health and it certainly hasn’t been linear, but my emphasis has always been on healthy weight gain which I still believe isn’t talked about enough,’ she said.
‘I feel happy and strong right now and I want to share that because I see so much emphasis on weight loss on social media.’
Over a year later, the step-daughter to AFL player Brendan Fevola has opened up about the mental health issues the illness has caused in an Instagram post on Friday
She finished: ‘I hope this gives some hope to those that also feel it’s impossible like I did.’
Fevola revealed she was diagnosed with coeliac disease in June of 2021 after getting a blood test.
She said she had to make significant lifestyle changes to manage the disease.
After being forced to overturn her entire lifestyle, Fevola said she struggled to maintain a healthy relationship with food and manage her stress levels
‘I never realised the seriousness of coeliac disease. I always thought it was just a gluten-free diet,’ Fevola wrote on Instagram Stories at the time.
‘I was actually really upset after finding out it is a huge lifestyle change for me,’ she added, noting the diagnosis had ‘freaked her out’.
Fevola then explained that coeliac disease is an autoimmune condition where the lining of the intestines is damaged from gluten.
For confidential 24-hour support in Australia call Lifeline on 13 11 14.
‘I’ve never had an unhealthy relationship with food but it was the combination of coeliac disease and the way stress would affect my appetite,’ she said