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By Irene Maher, Times staff writer Irene MaherTampa Bay Times In Print: Thursday, October 11, 2012

ST. PETERSBURG Allison Kreiger's eating disorder started when she was just 13 and continued until she was a senior in high school. She didn't set out to lose weight, but to gain control over a life that felt out of control to a young girl.

Anorexia can cause dramatic weight loss, making it more visible. But Kreiger, who would go on to be crowned Miss Florida in 2006, started out with the binging and purging condition bulimia.

Her weight seemed stable until anorexia took over in her senior year. Kreiger, already slim, quickly dropped 30 pounds, making apparent the damage years of purging had caused. She lost much of her hair, her eyes were bloodshot from chronic vomiting, her teeth were corroded by stomach acid, her heart was weak.

"I am very lucky to be alive," says Kreiger, now 29, who is married, a new mother, and a recent law school graduate.

As Miss Florida, the Orlando resident adopted eating disorder awareness as her service platform. "It's a scary disease with a lot of shame," said Kreiger, "and eating disorders are rampant on school campuses everywhere."

Kreiger's advocacy continues at the University of Florida and her nonprofit organization, HOPE, Helping Other People Eat. She is on the board of the National Eating Disorders Association and will be at its annual conference, today through Saturday at the Renaissance Vinoy Resort in St. Petersburg.

Kreiger spoke to the Times this week about her work and her recovery.

Why did your life feel so out of control at age 13?

I was a competitive baton twirler from the age of 5. You had to train like gymnasts several hours in the gym every day and take dance classes at night. We had school performances on Fridays, competitions on Saturdays and Sundays we traveled home from competitions. By the time I was 13, I was over it.

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Former Miss Florida talks about her struggle with eating disorders

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Home » Lose Weight Quickly » Former Miss Florida talks about her struggle with eating disorders