A 24-year-old woman has blasted the bodybuilding industry as 'dangerous' after a vigorous healthy eating and exercise regime turned into an obsession that was putting her life at risk.

Maddy Moon from Boulder, Colorado, worked out daily and only ate 'clean' foods at the height of her fixation - but far from being the pinnacle of health she was dangerously ill.

She was struggling with a little-known eating disorder called orthorexia - an obsession with healthy eating - and used a bodybuilding competition to hide her problems from the outside world.

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Maddy Moon, 24, pictured at the height of her orthorexia. She said she started healthy eating with 'good intentions' but it eventually led to body dysmorphia and orthorexia, an obsession with 'clean eating'

Maddy today. At the height of her illness she would work out seven days a week - pounding the treadmill even when she had pneumonia

Maddy originally became a vegetarian for animal welfare reasons. However, at high school she developed body dysmorphia and become fixated on calorie counting, which led to other disordered eating patterns, such as purging.

Her problems intensified at college when she picked up bodybuilding and started a rigid six-meal-a-day plan on top of working out seven days a week.

At her worst she would only eat when and what her trainer instructed, even when the coach banned her from eating fruit.

Maddy said: ‘I started my healthy eating lifestyle with good intentions but found myself getting sucked into a weight loss obsession.

Maddy pictured at the height of her addiction in a bikini selfie. ‘I lost the ability to respect and nourish my body. My obsession with looking perfect was so strong,' she said

When Maddy began bodybuilding - in an industry which she described as 'dangerous' - she said that one coach advised her not to eat fruit, while another banned her from having a slice of cake on her birthday

‘I had a terrible case of body dysmorphia, and I believed the only cure was to shame myself into working out harder and eating less.'

She recalled: ‘I fixated on my stomach mostly, I thought I was huge and that everybody noticed me everywhere I went when, in reality, I had a small stomach.’

Maddy soon realised that she could disguise her unhealthy relationship with food as preparation for a bodybuilding contest.

But now she has spoken out about the industry which she labels as ‘dangerous’, saying it 'contributed' to her problems.

According to Maddy, one bodybuilding coach told her she was 'cute but not sexy'. ‘Hearing things like that terrified me from straying from my plan, and created a fear of most foods,' she said

She said: ‘Bodybuilding was one of the biggest contributors to my orthorexia.

‘I realised I could easily conceal my disordered relationship with food - to the outside world it looked like I was full of self-discipline and willpower. Little did they know, I was suffering so intensely.’

She told how one coach warned her she would lose a contest if she ate a piece of cake on her birthday, eight weeks before the show.

She said: ‘I had anti-fruit coaches who wouldn't "allow" me to eat any fruit.

‘One of my coaches told me I was cute but not sexy, and in order to be a sexy fitness model I needed to stop eating fruit and then "voilà", he said, it would happen.

Following her own ordeal, the 24-year-old has cancelled her gym membership and now works as a coach for people suffering from eating disorders

Maddy today. At the height of her illness she refused to stop working out and would binge on vitamin C powder just to get a sugar kick

‘Hearing things like that terrified me from straying from my plan, and created a fear of most foods.

‘I think all bodybuilding competitions are dangerous. Period. In a perfect world there would be no more bodybuilding competitions.’

As her orthorexia worsened, Maddy would binge on vitamin C powder just to get a sugar kick.

And the fitness buff refused to stop working out, even when she caught pneumonia.

She added: ‘There were many days where I would be on the treadmill coughing up a fit, when I really needed to be in bed resting.

‘I lost the ability to respect and nourish my body. My obsession with looking perfect was so strong.

Speaking about her experience, Maddy said: '‘I think all bodybuilding competitions are dangerous. Period. In a perfect world there would be no more bodybuilding competitions'

Maddy had no idea she was suffering from orthorexia until she stumbled across the phrase. Deciding to take back her life, Maddy got a dog and moved to the countryside

‘I was constantly on social media, comparing my body to other women's bodies, jealous that I wasn't as lean as them, or as fit as them.’

As well as experiencing physical side-effects such as loss of menstrual cycle and insomnia, the rigid meal plans and workouts proved extremely anti-social.

She said: ‘You have to set aside your social life in order to stick with your routine perfectly.

‘I had no room for friendships or a boyfriend, so I spent time all of my time with my meal plan, food scale and gym.’

When Maddy stumbled across the term orthorexia a few years ago, she realised she identified with the disorder.

Maddy said that while she doesn't believe 'full recovery' is ever possibly, she has learned to 'maintain' her eating disorder. She now works as a coach for other people with eating disorders

Deciding to take back her life, Maddy got a dog, moved to the countryside and cancelled her gym membership.

She now works as a body image and disordered-eating coach to help others in similar situations.

She added: ‘I want to enjoy whatever I am eating, but I also want to know that it will nourish my body and give me energy for the day. I eat tons of plants, but I also enjoy wine, chocolate and pancakes.

‘Sometimes I will love my body, and other times I may find an endless amount of imperfections.

‘I don't believe full recovery is a thing. I believe eating disorder recovery is something you learn to maintain for the rest of your life.