Beth Cowan pushed herself to the brink , living on just an apple a day . But now the 19-year-old , from Chester-le-Street , County Durham , has fought back to fitness and is in the running to be crowned Miss British Empire 2015 . The brave teenager even took to the stage at a recent beauty contest to tell crowds how she had battled eating disorders and hoped her participation would inspire others fighting the illness . Beth Cowan , 19 , of Chester le Street , County Durham , struggled with anorexia and bulimia , at one point tipping the scales at just 6st 3lbs . Now , she is a healthier 8st 2lb ( pictured ) Beth has fought back to fitness and is currently in the running to be crowned Miss British Empire 2015 . During a Q & A round , she told the host how she 'd love to win to send a message of hope to others in the same boat . Beth has now shared a shocking snap of the way she used to look in a bid to convince other young people not to take the path she chose . Beth , who suffered bulimia and anorexia , would spend hours running on a treadmill in her bid to shrink her body to a tiny size . Weighing just 6st 3lb and standing at 5ft 8in , she had a BMI of 13.2 and was classed as dangerously underweight . Beth said : ' I was 16 and still at school . I do not know how it started - there was no specific cause . At 5ft 8in , Claire had a BMI of 13.2 and was classed as dangerously underweight . ' I just started restricting what I ate . I would go on a treadmill for an hour and eat an apple a day . 'Then , I was in Newcastle 's Marks and Spencer when I walked past a mirror and I could not believe how skinny I was . 'People used to say I looked like I was dying . I went to the doctors - I knew I needed to do something or I would not be able to have kids . 'The disease took everything away from me . It was my way of gaining some control , everything else was out of my control . ' Her condition became so dangerous she could no longer attend school and had to be home tutored . Miraculously , Beth still managed to earn As and Bs in her GCSEs and now hopes to be a teacher . Threatened with the prospect of hospital , Beth started to see an eating disorder specialist who helped her get her life back on track . 'They said to me if I did not do something right now I would be an inpatient tubed up because my weight was too low , ' she said . ' I used to cry at the thought of going into hospital - I was absolutely terrified . ' After being scouted at the Miss Bijoux beauty competition for Miss Newcastle , Beth will now take part in Miss British Empire . It 's a long way from the days when she would live off one piece of fruit a day - and she is urging other girls in her situation to seek help . 'People used to say I looked like I was dying . I went to the doctors - I knew I needed to do something or I would not be able to have kids , ' she said . Threatened with the prospect of hospital , Beth started to see an eating disorder specialist who helped her get her life back on track . She said : 'My mum used to cry , they were pleading with me , telling me I really needed to do something . ' I used to promise I would start tomorrow , but tomorrow never comes . I would lie to them and would lie to myself . 'It was a habit I could not break . It took me until I was 19 to get better . ' I am 8 stone two pounds now but I 'm still not where I want to be , I want to put more weight on . ' I was anorexic and bulimic . I just want other girls out there to know it 's not impossible to beat . There is a way out . It does not happen overnight but you can control it . ' I would not be here now if I did not choose to beat it . Never give up . ' After being scouted at the Miss Bijoux beauty competition for Miss Newcastle , Beth will now take part in Miss British Empire , where she 'll encourage other girls to seek help for eating disorders . ' I just want other girls out there to know it 's not impossible to beat , ' she said . 'There is a way out . It does not happen overnight but you can control it '
Beth Cowan , the age of 16 , developed bulimia and anorexia at 19 . Once weighed just 6st 3lb and was classed as dangerously underweight . Now overcome her illness to compete in Miss British Empire 2015 .