This is Me

I’m Ryan Sheldon—a speaker, brawn model, and eating disorder advocate. I feel blessed to be able to share my own experiences with weight-bullying, binge eating disorder, and evolving sexuality to educate and inspire others. Vulnerability is my superpower! (Well, that and truly boundless energy.) When I’m not at an event or photoshoot, you can usually find me cuddling my good boy Riley 🐶 or playing something by singer/songwriter Vanessa Carlton on the piano.

My Story

Growing up, I could out-eat everyone in my family. I was dyslexic, big, awkward, and pimpled. Kids were cruel, and my only real friend was food. At 13 years old I had my first binge episode—defined as eating large amounts of food quickly, and feeling out of control while doing it—when I polished off six mini-loaves of free bread at a restaurant before dinner even hit the table. As a teen, food calmed me, gave me pleasure, and dulled my pain so I kept binge eating, and getting bigger. Just before college, I went on a diet for the first time. I lost a significant amount of weight, but was petrified of gaining it back. I became just as obsessed with dieting as I had been with bingeing. On “good” days I’d eat 500 calories a day; on “bad” days, I would binge. Despite having a full social life in college—and finding a great tech job after graduating— self-loathing and food obsession still plagued me through my early and mid-twenties. 

But everything changed In 2015 when I saw a PSA commercial about binge eating disorder on TV. I took the info I learned to my therapist about it and was officially diagnosed. Finally being diagnosed at age 27 was an enormous relief: This thing I was suffering with was real, and I wasn’t the only one. Binge eating disorder isn’t talked about very much, but it’s actually more common than anorexia and bulimia combined. 

After treatment with an eating disorder specialist and a lot of hard work, my relationship with food and my body is healthier than it has ever been. In 2016, I started speaking about my journey at medical conferences, schools, and other events. And a year later, I asked a photographer friend to take some pictures of me. I used to avoid cameras, and wanted to challenge the shame I had about being in photographs. I was nervous and uncomfortable at first but found that I actually liked being in front of the camera. I shared the pictures on Instagram, and other people liked them too. Today, I’m signed with an international agency as a brawn model (plus-size for men), have been in campaigns for brands like Untuckit, Uniqlo, and Target, and am working on a book for men with eating disorders.