Updated

Alex Koszeghy battled anorexia for years, but she never guessed spreading her body with glitter paint would help her get healthy again.

WOMAN CALLS STRETCH MARKS 'GLITTER STRIPES' IN VIRAL BODY CONFIDENCE POST

As a “Glitter Girl” for football and basketball games at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the 23-year-old has been able to face her eating disorder head on and embrace her uniqueness, Koszeghy told PEOPLE.

“The Glitter Girl persona is kind of an extension of my own personality, but it gives me more confidence when I’m in glitter because it’s almost like I’m more free to be me and can be a little weirder, Koszeghy, a psychology major at UNC, told PEOPLE. “Sometimes I have insecurities about my body as Alex, but as Glitter Girl I can be more confident.”

People with anorexia, which is a mental disorder, usually weigh themselves frequently, restrict their eating, and eat only certain foods, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). These individuals also usually see themselves as overweight even when they are life-threateningly underweight. According to the NIH, anorexia patients are more at risk of suicide than people with most other mental illnesses.

THESE LIFE-CHANGING WIGS BRING JOY TO CANCER PATIENTS

PEOPLE reported that 23-year-old Koszeghy had struggled with the eating disorder since she was 16 and didn’t find relief until she received faith-based counseling at age 20. Since she began painting up for UNC games, she’s gained the body confidence she fought for years to achieve.

“For the last home game I wanted to do full body glitter and just wear a jog bra. It was super scary because I felt like everybody could see my stomach, but I like my facing my fears,” she told PEOPLE. “I did it and I remember thinking, ‘Nobody’s even looking at my stomach. Everybody’s just focused on the glitter.’ That was a big step.”

FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS