Eating Disorder Awareness Week: Top 15 Celebrities Who Battled Atrocious Eating Disorders. Get Inspired!

Most people often assume they are alone when suffering from an eating disorder. Lately, many celebrities have stepped in for treatment of their undiscovered eating disorders which proves that even those on the red carpet have image concerns and self-doubt. Approximately 30 million people in the United States have an eating disorder, and this number includes several high profile recognized personalities. When it comes to eating disorders, we must understand that these disorders do not differentiate and influence people based on their age, gender, socioeconomic status or anything else. The harsh reality is that eating disorders comprise of critical psychiatric illnesses that are observed around the world as endless number of people seek out help and support.

We often think that only women fall prey to this trap and men somehow manage to keep themselves away from iniquities, the truth however is quite opposite. Eating disorders snare both men and women equally in their trap. In particular focus on the entertainment world, where desirability goes hand in hand with hassle, many celebrities have gone through eating disorders. Also, many have successfully overcome such issues. Let’s walk through the inspiring stories of superstars who have opened up their battle with eating disorders.

1. Demi Lovato

Demi Lovato is an unofficial spokesperson for women suffering from eating disorders from 2010. It was that time when she was treated for bulimia. While suffering from this eating disorder, she always thought of dying young before reaching her 21st birthday. The opinionated role model emphasized on her health and fitness as a crucial part of her recovery process. She always gets help for her everyday fitness routine and manages her bipolar disorder. According to her “My body-image awareness started way before that, but I do attribute a little of my insecurities to being onstage and judged for my beauty.”

2. Lady Gaga

In the year 2012, Lady Gaga posted on her website about the ‘Little Monsters’ that she had struggled with, anorexia and bulimia from a very young age of 15. She talked about her cycles of weight gain and loss and shared photos. Her famous “Born This Way Foundation” provide young people a platform and resources to combat body image issues, bullying, drug and alcohol problems and a lot more. This nonprofit organization aims to create a more compassionate environment for all those youngsters who are dealing with these issues. She keeps on motivating everyone with such concerns that it might be very hard but all you need right now is to express yourself to someone.

3. Caleb Followill

The popular man of Kings of Leon had a long struggling journey with anorexia when he was a teenager. He always had a feeling that he is inferior which eventually led to low self-esteem. He compelled himself into a consistent regime of heavy workout on extremely hot days with a tracksuit on. As soon as he realized that he is harming himself and becoming a prominent part of disordered eating, he managed his uncontrolled eating and work out routines.

4. Alanis Morissette

A well-known singer Alanis Morissette talked about her fight with anorexia when she was trying to step in the music industry. She was challenged with extreme pressure as a young woman among the public. Eventually, she decided to meet a therapist since eating disorder recovery became her foremost priority. Morissette started doing yoga, journals and meditates to live a balanced lifestyle. The ultimate outcomes were very satisfactory.

5. Princess Diana

In 1994, Princess Diana spoke openly about her issues with bulimia and self-mutilation. According to her, many individuals suffering from a similar situation might be looking up to several questions, though the ultimate solution lies within them. She also talked about how professional, friends, and family care can make a significant difference in their lives to cope with these disorders. Her courageous speech about her eating disorder and personal struggles has motivated a lot of people who also started talking about their disordered eating. The Princess’ fight to increase understanding about bulimia has massively contributed to public awareness.

6. Russel Brand

Russell Brand is known for his outrageous statements. Though the popular actor and comedian has frequently spoken about his struggles with bulimia and substance abuse when he was a teenager. Eating disorders are more common in women compared to men but approximately 10 million men are suffering from various types of eating disorders in the United States alone. According to him, in those times, it was quite embarrassing to discuss such issues especially if you are male. Today, Brand openly talks about temperance and veganism. He has raised money for many drug addiction recovery programs and has become a prominent figure in the fight with eating disorders.

7. Ella Mai

In the year 2018, Mai struggled with disordered eating. Though later she was able to gain 20 lbs. In one of her interviews, she talked about her condition and being aware of abusing herself. It was a time when being skinny was the most appealing thing for her. From her popular season “The Real” she was always 100 lbs. Though later she started working very hard and made sure not to gain any more weight and stay on a standard size. Mai was very much distressed looking at her photos and realizing that her knees and shoulders have become really pointy or you may say very weak, she approached one of her friends who helped her with a healthy nutrition plan including healthy fats, grains, and whole foods. Also, she started hitting the gym. The entire recovery process not only helped her gain a healthy body but incorporated a new and more positive perspective in her life. The distorted body image has gone forever!

8. Ireland Baldwin

Ireland Baldwin is a 22-year old daughter of Alec Baldwin and Kim Basinger who expressed her past struggles with anorexia on one of her Instagram stories. She shared an old photo of herself with the caption “Anorexia throwback” and it got the attention of millions of people around the world. Also, she posted a photo of her very young age wearing a bikini and writing “Nope”. She battled with her body image from a very tender age. It took her a long time to find acceptance and satisfaction for herself. The popular model wrote that all suffering and destruction she did on herself wasn’t worth it.

9. Whitney Cummings

Cummings from a very young age of 14-18 insisted on having a certain diet so she don’t get fat by keenly observing her mother. She was extremely terrified of getting fat and consequently she had a very thin figure. She was unable to get away from her obsession with being skinny which far ahead started upsetting her. Finally, the comedian turned a corner with the support of her friends which gave her an important realization that she could really happy and healthy with proper nutrition.

10. Zayn Malik

The very famous singer spoke out his struggle with an eating disorder in his book. He openly talked about his jam-packed schedule with the immense popularity of One Direction that led him to skip several meals in a row and at times for multiple days. He never said anything about his physical and psychological health ever in public until leaving the band. Although he didn’t have cared much about losing weight but sometimes he had to skip meals for straight two to three days without even realizing it. Later, he acknowledged the fact that how disordered eating has affected his health.

11. Lily Collins

The actress who has won the hearts of millions shared a very intimate connection with her character in ‘To the Bone’. Collins started suffering from an eating disorder as a teenager. She opened up about her disorder while speaking to IMDB Studio about her movie. As per her statement, it was a very dramatic role for her since she has suffered from eating disorder when she was just a teenager. Collins also wrote a book where she has talked about her experiences she always used to fear to express. Moreover, she has also explained there are many taboos connected to eating disorders and the reason why many people going through this phase are unable to speak up.

12. Hilary Duff

Similar to many other young celebrities, Duff admits that she has suffered from an eating disorder back in her teenage years. She stepped into an unhealthy territory when it comes to eating. In one of her interviews, she talked about how the world seemed to be cruel to her and she was very much unhappy at the time. She still remembers her hands cramping because she wasn’t getting enough nutrients.

13. Nicole Scherzinger

It’s not all about song and dance from the Pussycat Doll and former X Factor judge. She combated bulimia for around eight years while she was at the peak of Pussycat Dolls fame. She told Cosmopolitan UK that it was always a horrible and dark time for her. She felt ashamed since none of his friend or family member had ever gone through the same situation. She realized that it was not something normal and she was doing nothing but hurting herself both emotionally and physically. Though today she is committed to do things differently and make sure that it never happens again.

14. Elton John

Elton John had an unrepressed history of heavy drinking, drug abuse, and bulimia. He undertook a treatment course for his drug obsession and bulimia. For several years, it was very hard for him to realize that he even had an issue. According to his conversation with Larry King, he knew he would get better because he was determined to do so. He also spoke how much it helped him when he came to know that his dear friend Princess Diana fought with bulimia as well. He now gives more attention to his family and charitable work through the Elton John AIDS Foundation.

15. Bianca Belair

In NXT, Bianca Belair is among the most confident celebrities on television. Her struggle with bulimia and depression almost cost her life. In one of her interviews, she revealed her journey of disordered eating. To win a scholarship, she was consistently told to lose weight which resulted in her skipping meals. She won the scholarship and decided not to throw up her food though later once again she needed to lose weight and instead of seeking a professional help, she skipped her meals. Her struggle with bulimia caused her serious depression. Though she was prescribed medication, she didn’t want to take it devotedly. This led to her emotional breakdown which resulted in her keeping herself isolated. According to her, she thought no one was listening nor she tried to talk. She stopped taking pills that was no less than a life threat when she was taken to emergency. After one week of therapy, she decided to go back home with the hope she will get better with her support system. However, it failed and she attempted suicide. Though today she admits that if she would be in a group of friends or with her family speaking about her condition, the situation wouldn’t be as worse as it turned out.

Eating disorders develop for multiple reasons such as stress, self-image distortion, low self-esteem etc. However, neither it’s something to be ashamed of nor it needs to be kept a secret. The first and foremost thing is to get out of denial and seek help. We often follow celebrities for their fashion and lifestyle so why not get inspired by their battles of eating disorders. By being honest about their struggles, a number of celebrities are building awareness and helping to promote a healthy body image. There might be a certain feeling that you need to get perfect, but our most favorite superstars such as Demi Lovato and Nicole Scherzinger are proving that being healthy is trendy in Hollywood as well. These long-struggling stories are breaking many stigmas surrounding mental illness. Asking for help is a must for long-term recovery and looking up at professional interventions can be truly lifesaving. Speak up because staying silent won’t heal you!