About Sarah

Sarah is a professional photographer, documentarian, and producer. Despite being a visual person, numbers have ruled most of her life.

 From a young age, the numbers on her bathroom scale determined what she did and how she felt every day. To appease the number gods, she restricted what she ate and drank to the point of restricting water, so much so that she would dry-swallow any medication she needed to take. Not an ounce more than she needed before stepping on the scale. Once, when the number was too high, she called out sick from work to spend the day exercising.

Sarah has perceived herself to be overweight for most of her life. As a 90s kid, she was influenced by SlimFast, Weight Watchers and Jenny Craig commercials. We sang the 1-800-97Jenny jingle together when we talked for her interview. She and her classmates idolized the TV-thin women on Saved by the Bell and Xena, Warrior Princess, and therefore compared themselves and each other to these physiques. Having bigger legs, hips, or breasts was never OK. 

In addition to this pressure, Sarah grew up with a barrage of food sensitivities that created extreme physical discomfort – and often led to her making excuses for why she could not or would not eat. Cheese? No thank you, I’m lactose intolerant. Pasta? No, gluten is an inflammatory. 

Through therapy, medical and alternative care, and studious food and health research, Sarah put herself on the path to recovery from her disordered eating. She believes she’s growing out of it as she gets older. The voices telling her to go running in order to get on the scale are getting quieter. She’s getting comfortable in her body, and has learned to accept the numbers with more grace, though she still weighs herself regularly.