A woman has shared her shocking body transformation photos after finally reaching a healthy weight after years of struggling with anorexia and bulimia.

Brittany Burgunder, 27, from California, who weighed just 56lb (4st) at the height of her anorexia, was so seriously ill that her family began to plan her funeral.

But after being released from hospital following her eating disorder, she gained 161lb (11.5st) as she binged on fast food and sugary snacks.

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Now, weighing a healthy 121lbs (8st 9lbs), Brittany resumed her studies back at university and wants to share her journey in the hope of helping others

Brittany Burgunder, 27, from California, weighed a skeletal 56lbs (4st) at the height of her anorexia. She was on the verge of death and her family began to plan her funeral

Brittany was consuming 20,000 calories a day until she tipped the scales at over 210lb (15st).

After being dangerously thin, she found herself seeking help at numerous fat camps before realising she couldn't carry on and finally took control of her life.

Now, weighing 121lb (8st 9lbs), Brittany has resumed her studies back at university and wants to share her journey in the hope of helping others.

She said: 'I was four stone at the height of my anorexia and my parents started to plan my funeral.

'After spending time in hospital I started to gain weight but when I was back at home I didn't know what to do with myself, so I started to binge on all of the foods I had missed out on over the past seven years.

'At this point I also started to suffer with bulimia, I became addicted to laxatives and would binge on up to 20,000 calories a day.

But, in a strange turn of events, in just one year she gained 161lbs (11.5st) after binging on fast food and sugary snacks

'I was lonely and unhappy, I used food as a way of coping with everything, and it numbed out the pain of being bullied throughout school and gave me something to focus on.

'It all started at 13 but by 18 I was a member at three gyms and I would starve myself throughout the day.

'It took me years to realise that what I was doing to my body wasn't normal, but I eventually started to focus on the positives in my life.

'I focused on changing my eating habits and, after suffering for ten years, I am finally at a healthy weight.'

Brittany's battle with eating disorders began when she was just 13 after years of torment from her peers at school

Brittany's battle with eating disorders began when she was just 13 after years of torment from her peers at school.

Left feeling alone and confused, she suffered with depression, anxiety and OCD which led to her find comfort in the only thing she could control in her life.

She added: 'Before I knew it I was stuck, I excessively counted calories, only eating foods that came in a package, and over exercised.

'It took my mind away from feeling rejected from my peers and the pressure of unrealistic standards.

Left feeling alone and confused, she suffered with depression, anxiety and OCD which led to her find comfort in the only thing she could control in her life

'My parents soon realised something was wrong, but encouraged me to attend college in the hope it would be the break that I needed.

'But my eating disorder got worse, I had three different gym memberships so the same people didn't see me going three times a day, and I starved myself through the day and only ate in the middle of the night.

'I would pace around my dorm room in the hope of burning extra calories and was eventually forced to leave as my health had deteriorated too quickly.'

Brittany was admitted to hospital weighing just four stone, she was forced to undergo a blood transfusion, suffered near live failure and lost most of her hair

Brittany was admitted to hospital weighing just four stone, she was forced to undergo a blood transfusion, suffered near live failure and lost most of her hair.

Doctors told her parents, Susan, 59, and Lee, 61, that their daughter was going to die and that they should start to make arrangements for her funeral.

Miraculously Brittany survived, but was kicked out of treatment for non-compliance and was discharged at only 82lbs (5st 8lbs).

Miraculously she survived, but was kicked out of treatment for non-compliance and was discharged at only 82lbs (5st 8lbs). At home she traded anorexia for binge eating disorder

Brittany said: 'At home I didn't know what to do with myself, so I started eating all of the foods that I had forbidden myself from eating for seven years.

'I started eating everything in the house, it felt amazing, but also scary because I didn't know how to stop.

'I had traded anorexia for binge eating disorder and no longer recognized myself as I piled on the pounds.

'I could easily eat a dozen doughnuts and that was just a start, I would binge on pure junk food and wouldn't stop until I fell into a food coma.

'I could easily eat a dozen doughnuts and that was just a start, I would binge on pure junk food and wouldn't stop until I fell into a food coma', she said

'I was gaining weight so rapidly that in 12 months I had gained nearly 168lbs (12st).

'I started entering fat camps in the hope of losing the weight I had so quickly gained but, it was a very poor and desperate choice on my behalf.

'Looking back as I was so focused on my external appearance rather than on focusing on healing my mind.

'Towards the end I also suffered with bulimia, I would binge and take laxatives and I soon became addicted.

Brittany started to focus on the positives in her life such as her passion for horse riding (pictured) and tennis

'I would eat between 12,000 and 20,000 calories a day.

'This lasted for three years until I realised that what I was doing to myself wasn't right.

'I continually went in and out of eating disorder treatment centres before I finally started getting better.'

Brittany started to focus on the positives in her life such as her passion for horse riding and tennis and was recently accepted into California Polytechnic State University, where she is currently studying psychology.

She was recently accepted into California Polytechnic State University, where she is currently studying psychology

She added: 'I try not to weigh myself any more, I just focus on staying healthy.

'Over the years I wrote hundreds of journals that I had kept to myself and I decided I would put them all together to write a book which I called 'Safety in Numbers: From 56 to 221 Pounds, My Battle with Eating Disorders'.

'I want to raise awareness to get rid of the stigma attached to eating disorders and, even though my eating disorder was visual, it doesn't mean all are.