Shane Dawson's latest YouTube documentary focuses on eating disorders

From Cosmopolitan

Shane Dawson finally returned to YouTube on Friday night with an hour long documentary on fellow YouTuber Eugenia Cooney and eating disorders.

24-year-old Eugenia has been posting fashion and beauty videos on YouTube since 2013, however six months ago she announced she was taking a break from social media to focus on her health.

Eugenia's increasingly frail appearance had sparked serious concern amongst her fans and with speculation around her weight mounting, she took to Twitter to announce that she was having some time off.

In a series of Tweets she wrote:

"Hey guys! I've been offline for a while and I'm sooo sorry if I worried anyone! That was not my intention at all. I've just been taken a much needed break from the negativity and having some positive time offline. I'll be back soon! :)"

"Btw I'm so sorry people make up such crazy stuff, but I am alive and definitely not dead. I was really surprised to hear that was going around about me, but everything is fine!"

"Hi guys! I appreciate the concern. I’m taking a break from social media and voluntarily working on this with my doctor privately. Please respect that."

However, six months later Eugenia has finally made her return to the platform with the help of Shane, who has previously filmed documentaries on fellow YouTubers including Jeffree Star, Trisha Paytas and Jake Paul.

Before meeting Eugenia, Shane met up with Therapist Kati Morton, who advised him of questions he shouldn't ask someone suffering with an eating disorder, including what they eat in a day. He also opened up about his own experiences with bulimia.

When they eventually met, Eugenia revealed that she admitted herself to rehab, after years of denial about her eating disorder.

"It’s kind of like smoking. People know in their brain, like, 'Hey I should stop this'. It’s hard to totally stop and actually go and try to get help for myself."

"Even when I was younger I was always naturally small. As things were going forward I was losing more weight and not seeing that it was a really big problem."

Opening up about rehab, Eugenia described it as a "Really weird experience".

"As you’re eating, you’re watched. When you go to the bathroom, you have someone outside the door."

"I knew I just had to do it, follow the program, and do what I had to do. When you’re going into it, it seems like a lot. It isn’t exactly the easiest."

"I’m doing a lot better and trying to make sure I’m eating enough. I think it’s good that I made a decision to get myself back to a healthy place."

Explaining why he chose to film Eugenia, Shane explained: "My hope and her hope is that this could help a lot of people. This to me feels like the most important thing I’ve ever done."

Watch the full video below:

For more help and support with eating disorders visit Beat or the NHS. For mental health advice, visit the NHS website or Mind.

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