When Ragen Chastain collapsed on a treadmill in her gym, she knew she had to make some changes in her life.
Tuesday night, she shared her discoveries and offered strategies for a life of health and happiness with an audience of about 80 people in the Reitz Union Rion Ballroom.
GatorWell paid Chastain $2,000 to speak.
Chastain is 5 foot 4 inches tall and weighs 284 pounds. She believes she is the healthiest and happiest she could ever be.
She encourages others with body image issues to feel the same way.
"Health and weight are two different things," Chastain said. "There are healthy people and unhealthy people in every size and weight."
Chastain overcame an eating disorder and won three national dance championships. She now maintains a blog about her journey at danceswithfat.org.
She said she's familiar with negativity from doctors and society, and she still receives ridicule despite her accomplishments.
"A lot of times, somebody wants to bring me in as a speaker, but I was turned down because they say I was promoting obesity," she said.
On the contrary, she said, her belief is to support all body types and help people love what size they are while being healthy.
"She is such a confident person," said Kaifang Zheng, a 23-year-old mental health counseling student. "From her body, my bias would first be she's not. But she really is that confident, and I love that."
Ragen Chastain, three-time national championship dancer, author and motivational speaker, talks about positive body image in the Rion Ballroom on Tuesday night.
