Jazz Jennings reveals 'mental health struggles' led to binge eating in 'I Am Jazz' trailer

Reality TV star Jazz Jennings is candidly sharing the struggles behind her recent weight gain.

In a teaser trailer released Monday for the seventh season of Jennings’ TLC reality series “I Am Jazz,” Jennings reflects on the personal turmoil that contributed to her weight gain.

“Two years ago, I was on my way to one of the greatest institutions in the world,” Jennings said, referring to her admission to Harvard University. “But I was actually struggling severely with mental health issues. I started binge eating, and I gained weight, and more weight, and more weigh, and now, almost 100 pounds heavier, here I am today.”

In June, Jennings revealed in an Instagram post that she suffers from binge eating disorder. Jennings said this disorder, along with “an increased appetite” caused by medications she takes, resulted in her nearly 100-pound weight gain within the last two years.

“Having all this extra weight, I can't do so many things with my body that I used to be able to do,” Jennings said in the voiceover for the season trailer.

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Jennings’ weight gain has even caused friction with her loved ones, including her mother, Jeanette Jennings. “Even when we think we’re doing something right, she falls off the wagon,” Jeanette said.

“I do experience fat-shaming from my family,” Jennings said. “It makes me feel really humiliated.”

Jennings, who was diagnosed with gender dysphoria at age 3, first stepped into the public eye when Barbara Walters interviewed her in 2007 for "20/20." She and her family shared more of their journey in the 2011 documentary "I Am Jazz: A Family in Transition," and "I Am Jazz," which premiered in 2015. The following year, the LGBTQ advocate and Human Rights Campaign youth ambassador released a memoir, "Being Jazz: My Life as a (Transgender) Teen."

Jennings said she’s committed to overcoming her disordered eating and make a personal transformation. “It’s now or never at this point,” she told her mom in a tense conversation in the trailer.

“I’m ready to change my ways,” Jennings captioned her June Instagram post. “I’ve been saying I’m ready to turn over a new leaf, but I’m running out of trees now. I’m ready to take the initiative and create positive changes when it comes to my health and body.”

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What is binge eating disorder?

There's a broad spectrum of disordered eating — which refers to abnormal behaviors like calorie counting or a rigid exercise routine and affects over 30 million people in the United States.

But unlike bulimia or anorexia, binge eating is characterized by episodes of "eating large quantities of food (often very quickly and to the point of discomfort),” according to the National Eating Disorders Association. Experts caution that the symptoms look different for everyone.

"The diagnostic criteria for anorexia, bulimia and binge eating disorder is pretty specific. A lot of people ... live outside of those distinctions," Chelsea Kronengold, associate director of communications at NEDA, told USA TODAY in February. "But it doesn't mean that their problems aren't considered eating disorders or aren't just as serious.”

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Eating disorders are often triggered by stressful events, like a death or breakup, and seen most commonly in college students. Young women like Jennings are especially vulnerable to eating disorders due to pressures to succeed or please others, according to Elizabeth Llewellyn, former executive director at Eating Disorders Coalition of Tennessee. However, LGBTQ+ individuals experience unique challenges that put them at higher risk, including barriers to culturally-competent treatment and insufficient eating disorders education.

Here are some tips and resources:

• If you think that you or someone you know have warning signs of an eating disorder, get screened by a professional.

• Virtually connect with a community, such as a Helpline or support groups.

• Reach out to your support system and schedule a FaceTime or video chat during meal times.

• Be thoughtful about your social media consumption and unfollow accounts that make you feel anxious. Instead, follow accounts that focus on self-care.

If you or someone you know is struggling with body image or eating concerns, the National Eating Disorders Association's toll-free and confidential helpline is available by phone or text at 1-800-931-2237 or by click-to-chat message at nationaleatingdisorders.org/helpline. For 24/7 crisis situations, text "NEDA" to 741-741.

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Contributing: Alia Dastagir, Erin Jensen, USA TODAY; Maura Ammenheuser, The Tennessean

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jazz Jennings shares binge eating battle in 'I Am Jazz' trailer