create your own

Celebrities with Eating Disorders - List and Pics

87
rate or flag this page

By Maddie Ruud


Alanis Morissette
Alanis Morissette

Alanis Morissette

Canadian singer Alanis Morissette has admitted that she struggled with anorexia and bulimia between the ages of 14 and 18, but is now recovered.

"I work out about two times a week instead of nine," she said. "I'm still a part of society, but I'm better able to challenge it than when I was 14."


Ana Carolina Reston
Ana Carolina Reston

Ana Carolina Reston

Brazilian fashion model Ana Carolina Reston died at age 21 from complications of anorexia in November of 2006.

"Take care for your children because their loss is irreparable," Reston's mother, Miriam, told the O Globo newspaper. "Nothing can make the pain go away. No money in the world is worth the life of your child."


Ashlee Simpson
Ashlee Simpson

Ashlee Simpson

American singer Ashlee Simpson, the younger sister of highly successful actress and singer Jessica Simpson, admits battling an eating disorder in her pre-teen years. Despite being photographed at very low weights in the recent past, Ashlee attests that she has fully recovered.

"I think I have good curves, and they're womanly," she says. "I hate it when girls lose their curves. "I think it's sexy not to be a bone and it's sad when people get too weight-conscious and don't look in the mirror and see themselves as being as beautiful as they are."


Barbara Niven
Barbara Niven

Barbara Niven

Actress Barbara Niven has come forward about her hidden struggle:

"I did it all: anorexia, bulimia, binging, over-exercise. But no matter how much weight I lost I could never look "skinny". It's not my body type! So I always felt disgusting and like a failure. I hated myself and my body, but always tried to hide how I felt behind a smile. It was my secret shame."


Calista Flockhart
Calista Flockhart

Calista Flockhart

The actress made famous as "Ally McBeal" long denied having an eating disorder, but later came forward to admit that she had.

"I am much more healthy these days," she says, despite no evidence of significant weight gain.


Cathy Rigby
Cathy Rigby

Cathy Rigby

Gymnast Cathy Rigby was the first American woman to win a gold medal in a World Gymnastics Competition, which she did at the 1968 Summer Olympics. She now reports that most of the USA national team suffered from eating disorders, without the official label. "We didn't know very much about nutrition. Neither did the coaches," she says.

Cathy got help for her eating disorder in the 1980's, and now travels the country speaking about her experiences, in the hopes of helping someone else.


Christy Henrich
Christy Henrich

Christy Henrich

In 1988, Christy was told by a U.S. judge that she had to lose weight in order to make the Olympic team. When she failed the cut, her weight dropped drastically. She died from complications of anorexia, at 22 years old and 60 pounds.


Daniel Johns
Daniel Johns

Daniel Johns

Australian rocker Daniel Johns from the band Silverchair has been open about his history of anorexia and depression, which nearly led him to suicide in his teenage years.

The incidence of eating disorders in Australia has doubled in the past ten years, recent studies show.


Elisa Donovan
Elisa Donovan

Elisa Donovan

Actress Elisa Donovan engaged in chronic dieting as a teenager, leading to a battle with anorexia nervosa, from which she is now recovered. "At first, I'd eat no fat," Elisa says of her disordered eating. "Then, I'd just eat breakfast--cereal and toast--and not eat again until night."


Elton John
Elton John

Elton John

The legendary British musician and composer entered rehabilitation in 1990 for substance abuse problems and bulimia. Post-recovery, he came out as a homosexual, and today enjoys as much success as ever.

In 1997, he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II.


Felicity Huffman
Felicity Huffman

Felicity Huffman

Actress Felicity Huffman fought anorexia and bulimia throughout her teens and into her early twenties. She sought help with the support of her family at age 22.

Today, Felicity stars in the wildly popular ABC hit Desperate Housewives.


Fiona Apple
Fiona Apple

Fiona Apple

Singer-songwriter Fiona Apple developed anorexia in her young teens. She attributes her disorder, not to a desire to be thin, but to the emotional trauma she sustained from her rape at age 12.


Gelsey Kirkland
Gelsey Kirkland

Gelsey Kirkland

Renowned ballerina Gelsey Kirkland published a co-authored autobiography in 1986, chronicling her double-life as an acclaimed dancer and self-hating anorexic.

Wikipedia bills Gelsey as "one of the first Ballet dancers to embrace plastic surgery to improve her on-stage 'line' and working herself literally almost to death."

Gelsey's Book

Dancing on My Grave Dancing on My Grave
Price: $89.99
List Price: $6.99

Geri Halliwell
Geri Halliwell

Geri Halliwell

Geri Halliwell, best known as "Ginger" from the pop sensation the Spice Girls, publicly admits struggling with anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating for many years. Her weight has yo-yoed throughout her career, but she champions honesty as the path to recovery.

"I can honestly tell you from personal experience, that worrying about an eating disorder really can get you down. There's nothing to be ashamed about. You'll be amazed at the difference it'll make to your whole life if you tell someone you trust. There are lots of people who want to help and you really CAN'T fight this one on your own. It might be a hard decision to make, to tell people and to seek help but, trust me it's nowhere as hard as trying to deal with it on your own," she says.

Geri's Book

Just for the Record Just for the Record
Price: $3.85
List Price: $14.99
If Only If Only
Price: $7.11
List Price: $11.45
Ugenia Lavender Ugenia Lavender
Price: $4.41
List Price: $8.23
Ugenia Lavender and the Burning Pants Ugenia Lavender and the Burning Pants
Price: $4.39
List Price: $8.23

Heidi Guenther
Heidi Guenther

Heidi Guenther

Ballerina Heidi Guenther was told at 5'5" and 96 lbs that she was too "chunky" by a theater company. In 1997, she died of complications of anorexia, at age 22 and less than 93 lbs.


Jane Fonda
Jane Fonda

Jane Fonda

Multi-talented celebrity Jane Fonda was one of the first famous women to openly discuss her eating disorder. In the late 1970s, she went public with her "bulimarexia."

She has enjoyed success as a fitness guru and actress, her career spanning more than three decades.

Jane's Book

My Life So Far My Life So Far
Price: $2.61
List Price: $16.95

Karen Carpenter

In one of the most widely publicized deaths due to anorexia, singer Karen Carpenter suffered cardiac arrest at age 32 as a direct result of self-starvation.


Kate Beckinsale
Kate Beckinsale

Kate Beckinsale

British actress Kate Beckinsdale has been open from the start about her struggle with anorexia before pursuing film. She prefers not to make the story of her eating disorder the main point of focus in her career.

"People keep asking me about it but I don't want to be famous for being a former anorexic," she says.


Kate Dillon
Kate Dillon

Kate Dillon

Kate Dillon starved herself to maintain the body she needed as a high-fashion model. Today, post-recovery, she is more successful than ever in her career as a plus-size model.


Kate Winslet
Kate Winslet

Kate Winslet

British-born actress Kate Winslet admits to eating disorder problems in her youth, though she has, over the years, put on a healthy amount of weight.

"I'm happy with the way I am," she says now. "I'm not like American film stars. I'm naturally curvy. This is me, like it or lump it."


Katherine McPhee
Katherine McPhee

Katherine McPhee

American Idol Season 5 runner-up Katherine McPhee has been outspoken about her recovery from bulimia. She spent time between the inital auditions and the live show in a rehabilitation program, and credits the show as the motivation she needed to seek help for her 5-year battle.


Mary-Kate Olsen
Mary-Kate Olsen

Mary-Kate Olsen

Actress Mary-Kate Olsen is the poster child for the pro-anorexia online movement, and is commonly used as "thinspiration" on these sites. Following a long period of denial, Mary-Kate eventually entered rehab, but has been unsuccessful at gaining and maintaining a significant amount of weight.


Paula Abdul
Paula Abdul

Paula Abdul

Pop singer Paula Abdul admits to struggling with bulimia and issues with compulsive over-exercise in the past.

Today, she is one of three judges on the Fox show American Idol, amidst scandel surrounding alleged drug use.


Princess Diana
Princess Diana

Princess Diana

England's beloved Princess Diana, activist and ex-wife of Prince of Wales Charles, confessed self-harm and bulimia to the British media.

Diana died tragically in a car accident involving a paparazzi chase in August 1997.


Sally Field
Sally Field

Sally Field

Actress Sally Field fought a 3-year bout with eating disorders, beginning at age 20, believing that "everyone was Twiggy, except me."


Sandra Dee
Sandra Dee

Sandra Dee

Actress and cultural icon Sandra Dee says: "I was anorexic for many, many years -- even before people knew what it was. They didn't even have a name for it back then."

Today, Sandra is constantly under a doctor's supervision, and goes in for monthly blood tests, as years of starvation and substance abuse have taken a toll on her body.


Tracey Gold
Tracey Gold

Tracey Gold

Actress Tracey Gold, made famous on the show "Growing Pains," was diagnosed with an eating disorder in 1990, after years of struggle, and recovered with the help of her family, friends, and husband. She has written a book to help others overcome what she suffered through.

Tracey's Book

Room to Grow: An Appetite for Life Room to Grow: An Appetite for Life
Price: $3.09
List Price: $12.00

Victoria Beckham
Victoria Beckham

Victoria Beckham

"Posh Spice" Victoria Beckham, wife of the famous soccer player, denied allegations of anorexia for a long time, before admitting to her problem in an excerpt from her book, Learning to Fly.

Victoria's Book

That Extra Half an Inch: Hair, Heels and Everything in Between That Extra Half an Inch: Hair, Heels and Everything in Between
Price: $11.52
List Price: $19.95

Wynonna Judd
Wynonna Judd

Wynonna Judd

Country singer Wynonna Judd has admitted to struggling with compulsive over-eating. She has been through rehabilitation, but continues to have problems with her weight.

Comments

RSS for comments on this Hub

livelonger profile image

livelonger  says:
2 years ago

The sad thing is that the problem is only going to get worse. These days to launch an acting or singing career, the only prerequisite seems to be that you weigh no more than 110 lbs. These are the only images we see.

Angela Harris profile image

Angela Harris  says:
2 years ago

I like Kate Winslet's quote, "This is me. Like it or lump it." You go, girl.

niamh allen  says:
2 years ago

Pro - ana websites are so dangerous, i am in my late teens and suffer from anorexia and all it takes is one glance at those websites to set me back even further.

barryrutherford profile image

barryrutherford  says:
2 years ago

I have an eating disorder too I like good food and hte junk food which goes against society norms suggested by advertisiers that I eat lots of junk food becuase its there and so accessable !

Maddie Ruud profile image

Maddie Ruud  says:
2 years ago

Barry:

I do not want to presume; perhaps you do have an eating disorder, but I just want to note that nothing in what you said indicates one, necessarily. I'd encourage you not to self-diagnose, but to check out some of the other resources I've provided to learn more about what eating disorders truly are. If you still believe you are at risk, seek help.

Best,

Maddie

Bonnie  says:
2 years ago

Daniel Johns is a hotty. He never needed to be like that. Hehehehe i think this is a really interesting website

William F. Torpey profile image

William F. Torpey  says:
2 years ago

I didn't realize the problem was so widespread! Is it just peer pressure, or some biological disorder?

writestuff914 profile image

writestuff914  says:
2 years ago

Another celebrity who had an eating disorder was Brittany Snow..the star of the Hairspray movie and the show American Dreams. The prevalence of celebrities with eating disorders is a reflection of the thin-obsessed media that puts superthin physiques out there as an example to aspire to. You hub helps us really that this body image is attained quite often by unhealthy and dangerous means.

~*Kristie Lynn*~ profile image

~*Kristie Lynn*~  says:
2 years ago

it's about control and sometimes when you cannot control what's spiralling around you, the only thing you can be in charge of is what you do and dont put in your mouth.

bulimia sux  says:
2 years ago

what about jeffree star?

~*~Sarah-Louise~*~  says:
2 years ago

This is an extremely interesting website, but i stil dont see how celebs can find themselves so unattractive as to make themselves ill. I think their all perfect, flawless, for another word. But i suppose its all about control and being able to find confidence in themselves! if you've got it, flaunt it!! and all these celebs have defo got it lol!! I myself have never struggled with an eating disorder, but from time to time i do feel low and hate the way my body looks. But then i wake up the next day and feel good about myself. Everyone looks like they do for a reason and 9 times out of 10 making yourself ill to look good ends up making you look weak, unhealthy and tired. Love what use have got!! and others will 2 ;-) mwah xxx Sarah-Lou xxx

arrow sheds profile image

arrow sheds  says:
2 years ago

Another Excellent lens Maddie! How sad the truth is about eating disorders and there are so many more.

alyssa perfect 442  says:
2 years ago

this site is amazing i think you should find more men with the disorder

alyssa perfect 442  says:
2 years ago

what about christie alley,renne zellweger? im 13 doing a project you need more info

Sydney SuGaR  says:
2 years ago

It's an addiction. You become addicted to not eating. Soon enough your appetite shrinks along with your stomache and the capacity to eat much of anything. You eat a whole orange and feel like you've just had a three course meal. Your clothes don't fit and you think that's strange...I don't LOOK that thin, why aren't they fitting? So you carry on not eating much of anything 'cos you believe the mirror and not the clothes, which doesn't make sense and you know it doesn't make sense but how can you deny what you see in the mirror?

robie2 profile image

robie2  says:
2 years ago

thanks for sharing that, SydneyS, it helps me understand the dynamics from the inside out in a way I didn't before--not too different from the drunk who says I can stop anytime I want to, I just like todrink. Addictions create their own reality--I get it now. And thanks for the hub, Maddie--very interesting reading.

Iðunn profile image

Iðunn  says:
2 years ago

I always find it fascinating the interest generated in an eating disorder that is the tiniest proportion of the U.S. with almost no social cost, as opposed to say, obesity with it's vast economic and social impacts. I suspect strongly that concentrating on others and 'what's wrong with them' keeps us from having to focus on ourselves.

jj34  says:
2 years ago

What about Ally McBeal ?

markion  says:
2 years ago

You left out Nicole Ritchie!

Princessa profile image

Princessa  says:
2 years ago

I am happy to see that you also included men on your list. Most people believe that eating disorders are exclusively associated to women, but it is an issue that affects both men and women.

beachbum_gabby profile image

beachbum_gabby  says:
2 years ago

never knew such many famous actress suffered from this problem. I felt awful for them.

morbidhunger  says:
2 years ago

ally mcbeal isnt a real person...Calistia flockhart played her and shes on the list.

and thank god she left out nicole ritchie because SHE WAS NOT ANOREXIC..shes a junkie...damn not every celebrity who become underweight (and tbh nicole was never that 'scary thin' neither was MK) you know cancer, AIDs, drug addiction, etc all cause dramatic weight loss as well. stop assuming they are all anorexic. Anorexia is rare anyway, and is focused on enough, most on to more common eating disorders that kill more people like ED-NOS (including BED/COED) and Bulimia and the others ones the Orthorexia, Pica, Prader-willi, etc.

anorexia is focused on way too much and minimalizes the 8 million other males and females that suffer from the other eating disorders because they are told (by loved ones and even doctors) that they are fine unless they meet the criteria for anorexia nervosa because they aren't "severely ill" unless they are underweight. which is complete bullshit and needs to stop.

anon  says:
2 years ago

you also missed:

Scarlett Pomers

Melanie Chisholm

Portia de Rossi

Lena Zavaroni (died from ED complications)

The Barbi twins

Francine  says:
2 years ago

I just wanted to share that I am 29 and I suffered from anorexia in my early twenties. Now I am 5'4 and weigh 170 pounds, but my doctor says this is fine because I am healthy and I am constantly walking. I am not a stick figure or the ideal body type, but a lot of people compliment me on my body and say it is athletic and beautiful. I feel good about myself and I have others tell me, people I do nto even know, that being curvy is attractive. So I know most women would faint at the idea of someone being 170 pounds, but I am perfectly healthy according to my doctor and this is my body type. Look at Rachel Ray, she is atheltic, healthy, eats, and enjoys life. Just my opinion.

windmillw profile image

windmillw  says:
2 years ago

Excellent essay - much praise to this author. Seeing the list of accomplished women with their lovely faces makes this disorder less fearsome and less shame-based.

Behind the majority of eating disorders, I believe, is a hurt or a grieving and an over-learned coping mechanism to deal with that issue that becomes insidious. This mechanism becomes locked in (in the case of anorexia) because starvation actually causes distortion in the brain's ability to reason. Studies out of the University of MN on conscientious objectors during World War II indicate that logical thinking is skewed during starvation. This study involved a group of men who were put in a starvation mode to understand what prisoners of war might be experiencing. Obsession set in and pre-occupation with food took hold.

Coping Mechanisms: We all raise our children assuming they have mechanisms to cope with life's tragedies. If heart-ache or tragedy strikes, the whole family breaks down. It's important to help our children develop mechanisms to cope with life's disappointments and trauma early on. Feelings during stressful times cannot be ignored in hopes that they will magically disappear. We can't assume because our children are saying everything is "ok" that it is. If grief is involved, we cannot wallow in our own pain so much that we ignore our children's pain and their means of coping. Coping involves recognizing feelings, feeling the pain, and then doing something about it. But coping also involves strategies - replacement of food obsession with rational thinking and behavior. Counseling by a caring, compassionate individual who has dealt with these issues successfully is an imperative. However, the counseling has to fit the person and the family.

It's my opinion that anorexia needs to be put in the category of a physical illness just as all issues of mental health need to be placed. The distortions of thinking seem to become chemically based and, in the case of anorexia, are caused by the body's experience of food deprivation and starvation. Learning thoughts and words to replace the negative thoughts is crucial. The TV program, Monk, is an example of a person's struggle to overcome obsession. The obsessive thoughts of a person with anorexia seem to be similar.

There is an answer, but if it were obvious, there would be less prevalence of this disease. One thing is clear to me, however. that young people experiencing anorexia or bulimia or the other end of eating disorders need nurturing - emotional nourishment. Isolation entrenches the disease. Having friends who don't shy away from the illness, having family who provide spiritual and emotional support, finding a purpose in life, reaching out to others, addressing grief, and finding constructive coping mechanisms are all needed to overcome this over-learned destructive means of handling life's problems.

TiffanyDow profile image

TiffanyDow  says:
2 years ago

Maddie, I'm seeing a dietician for the first time and the whole reason I went to her is because her site (nutrition paradox) teaches normal eating - not dieting to lose, not the polar opposite.

For the first time since I began having food issues (when I became a single mom and used food as my friend), I've begun having normal meals where my internal hunger cues are in charge, not my mind battling "good food-bad food" issues.

I never realized how much influence everything has over me - magazines, tv shows, my mom, my husband, etc. It's overwhelming. It's not BAD to buy a cake - and have a piece! I leave my dietician's office each week almost in tears because it feels so good to finally feel at peace with food.

Great Hub and i hope more people find it before they find a pro-ana site.

Tiff ;)

solarshingles profile image

solarshingles  says:
2 years ago

If one reads this amazingly long list of world top celebrities, one could think that this could be the only way to become a somebody more... (I am joking)

I think, that this 'mental' state is just a TREND - a fashion, which is going to change, when media is going to stop promoting it.

DJ Funktual profile image

DJ Funktual  says:
2 years ago

NOW THINGS are becoming clear to me.

Jen  says:
2 years ago

As a feminist that has struggled with anorexia throughout my adolescence, I always find it intriguing how quickly the media jump on the anti-pro-ana bandwagon, without really paying much attention to the role they have in shaping perceptions of body image and indeed publishing the pictures that such sites deem thinspiration. It's all very hypocritical and a detraction.

Lex LaCroix profile image

Lex LaCroix  says:
2 years ago

I had no idea that many women had eating disorders but I suppose it makes sense since it seems to be on the rise lately.

Lucero Aguilera  says:
2 years ago

I am not suprised that many celebreties that have eating disorders, anorexia is the cause of deaths of models.

Craig Dewe profile image

Craig Dewe  says:
18 months ago

A good Hub with a lot of valuable information and comments.

Good luck to anyone fighting an eating disorder. Don't be afraid to seek help, you are obviously not alone.

Annette Rozen profile image

Annette Rozen  says:
18 months ago

What a great hub. Its so sad that these are the people society admires for their looks. I think its really importnt to get the word out there, that the same people america's teenagers are striving to look like are SICK and that being that skinny is a bad thing, not a good one.

weblog profile image

weblog  says:
17 months ago

Interesting, Informative hub and I'd like to say I liked the layout of this hub :)

flutterbug77 profile image

flutterbug77  says:
16 months ago

It's really sad that so many women feel that they aren't pretty enough, sexy enough, thin enough to just accept themselves for who they are and who God created them to be.

Stayathomejobs profile image

Stayathomejobs  says:
16 months ago

Very imaginative hub. I like the topic and the way it is laid out.

epictruth profile image

epictruth  says:
16 months ago

Do you think Hollywood finds or makes these people? Next topic?

anocrazy  says:
16 months ago

i think this site is good, it does have a good bit of useful information in it. anorexics are too often stereotyped as being only 80 lbs and looking like they were in a concentration camp. i suffer from anorexia, and have been for the past 15 years. i feel lucky to be alive at this point, but i will never be happy with the way i look. i know what you mean when you say that you see the difference in the way your clothes fit, but not in the mirror. i deal with it every day. i am not the "typical" anorexic. i have 3 kids. i'm divorced, and i weigh 138. i'm 5'5. my doctor's will not diagnose me with anorexia because i'm not underweight. i am trying to get help, but it's useless because i don't fit the criteria. i know what i am, i've dealt with it for over a decade, and i've lost multiple pregnancies because of this disease. i've had 5 miscarriages, the most recent being on July 2 of '08. with my youngest child, my only daughter, i gained only 13 lbs, but she was healthy, she was small, but healthy. i know all too well the physical dangers of this crippling disease, yet i'm unable to get a grip. food is the center of my world, and coming in second place is my family. this has gotten my priorities all messed up, but i'm not able to stop it. i just wish i could get some kind of help before i die. even in knowing i could die, and already have heart problems and my hair is falling out, the struggle to become thin is my goal. this site is helpful, because even in my disease, i see these celebs as too thin, but if it were me, i still wouldn't be satisfied.

manders  says:
15 months ago

Ive been struggling with eating disorders since the age of 16 now im 21 im pretty much recovered im 5'1 110 pounds and im really healthy yet the problem is that I Dont think its about what society expect us to look like these days, but what I believe that affects all these celebrities is their lifestyles and how they been raised, sometimes even your social environment and your emotional health can trigger anorexia or bulimia.... as for me I had a breakdown a few months ago.. and well its pretty much a constant battle, its tireing, it really is and sometimes you wish your thoughts would stop, because its always there haunting you.

Kittee  says:
15 months ago

Hello and Goodmorning to you all!First and formost, I'd like to just take the time and say; Yes an eating disorder is a very serious and life threatening illness. However, When people say; "oh poor you, Im so sorry you have a different image in your head as to what others may see" really just infuriates me. Ok, now don't take that the wrong way; I have the best of both worlds eating disorder( aka EDNOS ) , and have done for 8 or so years now.I just don't like the feeling that for me having an eating disorder that I should have to make others feel sorry for me!. I Don't want to have random people tearing up when they read about how I restrict or how I purge and end up back in my sunny hospital home!. People of society need to stop just thinking about how sorry they are for people with disordered eating and start acting!! But in the end, there is nothing we can do.. You see People stereotype eating disorders as a societal issue; This it may be.. But it isnt the be all and end all - As SydneySugar posted above, Its about holding that control and making sure it never slips, and then yes, it is an addiction - I don't know how to live any other way and to be honest I deathly scared of changing it. When people ask me about my ED I just blankly say, " I am an Eating Disorder, The one known as Kathleen Mary has been fogotten, taken over by a blank canvas covered in hurt, pain, worry, self esteem issues - My Innocence and My Own Self was taken from me, I was stolen. I know that if something goes wrong, I will always have an ED to fall back on. It brings me closer to the pureness of life even if that means death. And I am aware that what I've just written is very much a selfish thought, but really... Who is going to care apart from my family if I do end up dying?!?!? Im sure it won't be anyone posting around here!!! -I'm very sorry for my rant. and I don't usually come out and jump down peoples necks, especially about this matter - One person can only take so much each day - ...I am not one to say but people do appreciate reading things like this to get an understanding to support ( and thats all that can be done ) someone who is effected. I mean shit, even I do. again Im Sorry... Take care you crazy kids!!

Gabby and becky  says:
13 months ago

It is sad that they all have suffered

Lily  says:
12 months ago

this is such a good thing to find amongst all the pro ana stuff on the net... i was really ill from ED's when i was in my midteens...it sounds funny but it wasnt so much the food or what i looked like...i just wanted to punish myself and finally succeed at something in my life... sometimes i still want to be like that just to get control of my life. it wasnt until my heart started beating really slowly that i realised shit i might actually die lol and i can to a point where i would either have to get better or go to hospital..i couldnt imagine putting my parents through that pain or embaressment so i just started forcing myself to eat again. Im still angry and sad that i got so ill and none of my friends or family ever confronted me about it . please - if you know someone who is sick from and eating disorder just tell them that you love them and you will help them get through it.

Zara Lockwood profile image

Zara Lockwood  says:
12 months ago

Women are just brainwashed to be stick thin from an early age - I hate it when magazines show "real women" like they are some sort of freaks in a zoo - as they always show some HUGE women in bikinis, fat hanging out saying "I love my body and men love my curves" which makes every women half that size feel they look like an over weight moose, when in fact they may just be chubby or tubby etc.

What we need the more normal sized women (of various, size, shapes and colors) in the media in place of "perfect" young girls ALL the time. Men become really fussy, expecting a woman out of a glossy magazine because they are just as brain washed as the young girls that think if you haven't got air brushed skin and thin boney bodies you are a freak.

Saying all that - you want to see real women, just go to a beach in Spain - you get all sorts of shapes, sizes and ages there - teaches men that bay watch is a fantasy, held in place by silicon, dyed hair and fake white teeth!

(and only rich people can afford to maintain those :P)

hasandaas profile image

hasandaas  says:
12 months ago

interesting, i would have never thought some of them were struggling with eating disorders. I geuss because you would think that the ones that have an eating disorder are the skinny ones, such as the olsen twins,etc. I for one would not have thought of the many others that were not skinny at all, such as: Wynona Jud,etc. Well i guss this shows you not to judge a book by its cover!

TravelMonkey profile image

TravelMonkey  says:
11 months ago

I agree Hasandaas, it just proves that anyone can be affected.

Stacey  says:
11 months ago

All of those pictures in the magazines are 90% fake. Don't try to be like them! It doesn't work! You are just hurting yourself and starving yourself to be like some fake person! Son't do that! Not only are you injuring yourself, but you are also killing yourself... Eat right and healthy, don't be like a fake person someone changed on a computer, please..

GothWriter profile image

GothWriter  says:
11 months ago

this is a good hub. triggering, but good.

Sexy Health profile image

Sexy Health  says:
9 months ago

Thanks for sharing this! IT is amazing, but they are all people we knew had them all along. It is such a sad thing to have to go through

packerpack profile image

packerpack  says:
9 months ago

Eating disorders most of the time show the kind of lifestyle that is being followed. It is a big problem but not something that is hard to overcome. It is really surprising that such big names have suffered or are suffering eating disorders. How can they afford it? They are always supposed to look healthy and happy. I had an impression that big names always spend lot of effort in their self grooming and in being healthy. This Hub changed my way of thought. Thanks for the hub

Nick  says:
9 months ago

I am a guy and I suffer from Bulimia. It seems hard to come clean about it as a guy but I imagine a lot of us suffer through it. It is a very hard a long process and the feelings described in here are spot on. I have caused hemorrahging in my esophagus from my bouts with bulimia. It is hard to convinve my insurance I need immediate help. Good luck everyone

Andromeda10 profile image

Andromeda10  says:
8 months ago

Does anyone remember Kate Beckinsale in 90's film version of Shakepeare's "Much Ado About Nothing" ? She was a healthy weight, maybe even a little chunky by Hollywood standards. I didn't see her in anything until "Pearl Harbor". Maybe it was in those years that she struggled with anorexia. I know she was a dancer in her childhood, so maybe she battled way back then.

Another note. It would be great to see folks not use the term "Twins" as a collective group especially when dealing with something like an eating disorder. (by a commenter). It's like if one twin has an eating disorder, the other MUST have one too. This went along with Mary-Kate and Ashley's rumors about eating disorders. They were pegging both when only one had the problem. (I'm a twin and that has always bothered me.)

shahnawaz sheikh profile image

shahnawaz sheikh  says:
8 months ago

ppl follow these stars what type of example are they setting

dancing queen profile image

dancing queen  says:
8 months ago

I know how these woman (and men) feel/felt. I just got out of a struggle with anorexia. Talking really helps you.

Jesus loves all

Ann  says:
7 months ago

Please add Vera-Ellen. She was a beautiful actress and amazing dancer from the 40s and 50s who danced with the likes of Gene Kelly. (Ah! Miss Turnstiles!) She's curiously thin with a tiny little waist and long stick thin legs--really unusual at that time. Then it turns out she suffered from anorexia for years. She died rather early. She really was one of the first actresses on screen to have anorexia. I'm starting to think that there are NO naturally thin women. They keep denying it over and over and then one day they come out with a best seller.

Emmie  says:
7 months ago

I'm recovering from anorexia and most of this really helped. The stories about celebs that died scared me and the quotes like kate winslet's inspired me

hannabanana101  says:
6 months ago

im doing a research paper on EDs- this was so helpful!! **thanks**

kelley  says:
6 months ago

I have an eating disorder,bulimia im 15 and had it for 3 years im a runner and i dont want it to affect my running but i cant give it up its so hard wen ur parents know to and i already went to an eating disorder place and im still not eating i just cant

Virginia Harmon  says:
2 months ago

Sandra Dee is no longer alive.

woopwoop  says:
2 months ago

its not all about the media - people do it for control and to make them feel like they can change themselves. People stereotype anorexia and bulemia as fad diets and quick fixes to getting skinny, but that isn't true for every person - people with abusive pasts can become a slave to and ED and not do it to get thin. For alot of people its a control method, a way to change themselves because they hate who they are, a saving grace. I'm not sayng people dont do it to get thin either . . .

tannerbug05  says:
2 months ago

I think this is a great informative piece on Eating Disorders, I tend to believe the media plays the biggest role in these disorders. Our young teens are seeing beautiful in an artificial way, they dont see all the air brushing and touch ups done to make the celebrities look "beautiful". How sad.

ishonne  says:
5 weeks ago

i think ppl want to look like celebrities nd tht is not good at all because this ppl go through a long process to impress young ppl who are reaaly not responsible nd understand the comebacks for all this stuff

katherine  says:
4 weeks ago

sa7:D:D

plus size corsets  says:
3 weeks ago

Will we ever see a shift in attitude when it comes to body image? It really is sad to see what women do to themselves in order to fit what is deemed acceptable. Very sad.

castingcalls profile image

castingcalls  says:
3 weeks ago

Hi everybody, it is nice one.....!!

tonyhubb profile image

tonyhubb  says:
10 days ago

Kate Beckinsale is very beautiful :)

Submit a Comment

Members and Guests

Sign in or sign up and post using a hubpages account.


optional


  • No HTML is allowed in comments, but URLs will be hyperlinked
  • Comments are not for promoting your hubs or other sites

working