What a Difference a Day Makes: I was seven when I realised people were judging my body

Pia Zain describes being told, as a seven-year-old, that she was “too overweight” for ballet lessons. She talks about her lifelong struggle with weight issues — and about the many positive and pivotal moments that led to her today being comfortable with who she is

Pia Zain: "I’ve become very intentional and thoughtful about what gives me joy — sea-swimming, spending time with my goddaughter, being in nature. I live in my body now, in the present." Pictures: Dan Linehan

When I was seven, the professional ballet company in Washington DC where I was doing dance lessons said I could no longer attend — I wasn’t thin enough. They said: “There needs to be an arch in her back when she lies down, where you could put a stick through. She’s too overweight so you can’t.”

My mother was furious. I felt sad and very embarrassed. All my friends were going on to the next level. And I felt shame. It was the first time I realised people —strangers — were looking at my body, judging it.