Even though her life looked glamorous
from the outside, inside she was a physical and emotional mess.
She was a scared and lonley girl with an eating disorder.
There is enormous
pressure in our society to look a certain way - to be thin and beautiful. The
majority of women and girls are dissatisfied with their bodies. Many no longer
enjoy food because society and the media makes them feel guilty for eating and
they take extreme measures in an attempt to change their bodies. Eating disorders
seem to have become a woman's way of escaping the daily pressures of life.
Theories about
the causes of bulimia and anorexia abound. One of them is that the "ideal" portrayed
by magazines, movies and television makes some young women feel abnormally pressured
to be as thin. The fact that the skinny "waif"-look continues to be highly fashionable,
Barbie dolls have literally impossible vital statistics and celebrities like Cher
are having ribs removed to achieve an hourglass figure all seems to support this
theory.
The media unquestionably promotes dieting and size
discrimination but it is a lot more complex than blaming the media. The media
shows images of models with perfect bodies and women are constantly being told
that they must have a slim and trim figure. Women are becoming more and more unhappy
and dissatisfied with their body weight and shape. In order for them to achieve
the impossible goal to look like the thin models and actresses in the media, they
put their health in serious danger. The media provokes profound dissatisfaction
in the female population but does not necessarily cause eating disorders. The
media is not wholly responsible for eating disorders but does play a major part
and definitely encourages eating disorders.
We have to keep
in mind that eating disorders are not simply about food and weight but are an
attempt to use food and weight to deal with emotional problems.
In the celebrity world
there seems to be an unwritten rule about the female body: If you want to be successful,
you have to be skinny - and the more skinnier you become, the more famous you
will get.
In the last decades we have seen many female actresses
go from healthy curvy figures to skinny bony bodies.
"How
can women be as thin as we are? We have personal trainers to work us out. We have
specially prepared meals." — Sarah Michelle Gellar
"I've
been told that if I lose weight I'd have more work, but I refuse to submit myself
to Hollywood standards. To the rest of the world I am slim and I like the way
I am." — Liv Tyler
"A lot of these girls who spend
so much time trying to be skinny - it's boring and they don't make people feel
good about themselves... I refuse to become part of this perfect-body syndrome.
I like my body. It looks good on-screen, and it's not because it's perfect."
— Salma Hayek
"Be yourself, and that will make you
more beautiful than anything." — Jamie-Lynn Sigler
"Everyone
in Hollywood is so damn skinny. You constantly feel you're not skinny enough.
But I'm never going to be a rail." ... "I'm curvy... But I feel lucky to
have what I've got." — Scarlett Johansson
"I've
got a lot of experience with anorexia -- my grandmother and great-grandmother
suffered from it, and I had a lot of friends at school who suffered from it. I
know it's not something to be taken lightly and I don't. ... (The press) said
to me yesterday 'How does it feel to be called anorexic?' and I had no idea that
I was. I'm not saying there aren't people in the film industry that suffer from
it, because I am sure that there are. But I'm quite sure I don't have it. ...
In a way, it's good that it's out there and that people are talking about it."
— Keira Knightley
"I weigh myself every week to make
sure I'm not losing any weight. I love my body." ... "I've done better as
a 'big' girl than most 'skinny' girls do as skinny models, so it's been amazing.
But what’s more amazing is that I did it on my own terms." — Kate
Dillon
"I've been on a diet for 2 weeks and all I've
lost is two weeks" — Totie Fields
"People
at the record label were telling me that I needed to lose weight. The song [In
This Skin] is saying that I am worthy to feel beautiful in my skin. It's something
that every woman experiences in one way or another." — Jessica Simpson
(Click here to read the lyrics of "In
This Skin")
"Black women don't have the same
body image problems as white women. They are proud of their bodies. Black men
love big butts." - Tyra Banks
"I have a boy's
body. I would prefer to have more curves because I think that's more beautiful.
I would much rather have J. Lo's body than mine." ... "I'd much prefer to have
curves. My daughter is 5ft 2in and curvy - she's everything I wanted to be."
... "I would love to have boobs and a butt like Jennifer Lopez but I'm not having
surgery so there it is."... "But now I feel bad because I think it's really
important that we all embrace what we are. It's like, 'Shut up Nicole and stop
indulging yourself.'" - Nicole Kidman
"In
every movie they want you to look as thin as you can look. In 'Selena', it was
the other way around: 'How can we shoot her butt so it looks like Selena's?'"
... "Beauty is only skin deep. I think what's really important is finding a balance
of mind, body and spirit. Somebody said to me not too long ago, 'Until you're
twenty, you have the face you are born with, and after that you have the face
you deserve', and I really loved that - the idea that you wear who you are on
your face." - Jennifer Lopez
"It's important
to teach people not to feel like they have to fit a certain body image. Overcoming
an eating disorder myself has made me prouder than selling millions of albums." —
Paula Abdul
"For me, it might sound cliche, but beauty
for me really does start on the inside. It's like a state of mind, a state of
love if you will. Then, whatever you can do on the outside is all like a bonus."
— Queen Latifa
"I'm happy with the way I
am. I'm not like American film stars. I'm naturally curvy. This is me, like it
or lump it. People think that if a woman isn't rail-thin, then there must be something
wrong with her - it's such nonsense." ... "More than ever now, I believe it's
so important to look as real and true to life as possible, because nobody's perfect.
I seem to be on a mission, but I don't want the next generation, your daughters
and mine, growing up thinking that you have to be thin to look beautiful in certain
clothes. It's terrifying right now. It's out of control. It's beyond out of control." —
Kate Winslet
"Some days I would look at my reflection
and see garbage, and I guess I was worried about the size of my breasts for a
long time. But now I think I have finally reached an age where I have accepted
myself for who I am." ... "I can't wait for the time when curves will
be back in style and little fat bellies will be sexy again. See, technology has
brought us many [good things], but also problems. Beauty is subject to its magical
touch-ups. What we see on magazine covers as the model of beauty isn't real. I
think that's very damaging. Celebrities feel this pressure too. A few years ago,
I considered [cosmetic] surgery. Breast augmentation and all kinds of things.
But [eventually,] I said, "Forget it." I started accepting myself the way I am
and [realized that] I'm not perfect. My fans will like me as long as I keep writing
good songs for them. That's the important thing." — Shakira
"It's
so wrong to try and stifle womanly curves, it shouldn't be promoted. This unhealthy
look should be abandoned." — Mischa Barton
"I
don't think we ever feel like we're good enough. We don't feel like we're thin
enough or pretty enough or smart enough or work hard enough. And we are good enough." —
Kristy Alley
Even though her life looked glamorous
from the outside, inside she was a physical and emotional mess. She
was a depressed and lonley girl with an eating disorder. The vomiting and
laxative abuse made her very sick. Overwhelmed by the pressures of the fashion
industry, she used food as a way to deal.
Models in fashion
magazines have continued to get thinner and thinner and the average woman model's
weight is about 15 to 20% lower than what is considered healthy for her age and
height. Many Models use drastic methods in order to stay thin and eating disorders
are not uncommon. In addition, for some it is not uncommon to have plastic surgery
done. Rumour has it that some even had removed ribs to make their waist smaller.
In addition, the pictures of the models that we see in the
magazines are not real - they have been airbrushed (digitally removing cellulite,
wrinkles and spots, evening out uneven skin tone, making hips smaller and legs
longer - just to mention a few) before going in print. No one, not even models,
looks that good without help! Want proof? Please go to the following links to
see some "Before" and "After" pictures... powerful Step-by-Step
demonstration of the retouching of a magazine cover and Before-After-Pictures
by a professional retoucher.
"Black women don't have
the same body image problems as white women. They are proud of their bodies. Black
men love big butts." - Supermodel Tyra Banks
"I
weigh myself every week to make sure I'm not losing any weight. I love my body."
... "I've done better as a 'big' girl than most 'skinny' girls do as skinny
models, so it's been amazing. But what’s more amazing is that I did it on my own
terms." — Supermodel Kate Dillon
How One
Model Beat Her Laxative Addiction...
Czech top model Petra
Nemcova was once so desperate to lose weight, she went on extreme diets and
regularly used laxatives. She admits struggling with her weight in order to be
skinny to be booked for catwalk jobs. "I went through so many diets in my
life. I’ve been very, very skinny. I’ve been a size zero but I’m naturally more
curvy." The Asian tsunami disaster in Christmas 2004 helped supermodel Petra
Nemcova beat her addiction to laxatives. The Czech model has revealed she spent
the months leading up to her Thai vacation, which saw boyfriend Simon Atlee killed
in the natural disaster, trying unsuccessfully to beat her pill-popping habit.
But, after spending eight hours clinging to the top of a palm tree with a shattered
pelvis, Nemkova admits she made a pact with herself to stop taking the drugs for
good. She told America's Self magazine, "I began taking them (laxatives) at the
end of 2002." ... "Like many models, I'd been told I needed to lose 10 pounds,
and even though I was getting a lot of positive feedback about my appearance,
I wanted my stomach to be smaller." ... "Finally, I reached a point where
I felt weak and exhausted, so with Simon's encouragement, I started tapering from
six pills to five, and so on." ... "I took the last pills a few days before
the tsunami. Now I treat my body with the respect it deserves. There's so much
suffering in the world, I don't want to inflict more on myself for no reason."
Skinny Models are Dying...
Uruguayan
supermodel Luisel Ramos died on August 2nd 2006 at a quarter past nine
in the evening, from anorexia-induced heart failure while participating in a fashion
show during Fashion Week in Montevideo, Urugay. Luisel felt ill after the catwalk,
fainted on her way to the dressing room and died in spite of the medical attention
she received from a mobile hospital unit. She died at the age of 22. The incident
followed a conversation in which the young model was told by her agency that she
could "make it big" if she lost a few pounds - which she did. For three months
prior to the incident, Luisel was on an extremely dangerous low-calorie diet and
she reached the body size that the fashion world so openly aspires. Reportedly,
Luisel starved herself for a period of up to two weeks prior to the show. Minutes
after stepping off the catwalk, while going for a final costume change, she complained
she didn’t feel well and dropped dead. Luisel's death was one of the main reason
why Spain initiated the ban on super thin models on the runway in September 2006.
Brazilian model Ana Carolina Reston died on November
14th, 2005, at the age of 21 of kidney failure due to anorexia. She had been hospitalized
since October 25 for kidney malfunction which eventually led to her death. Ana
Carolina modeled for Ford, Elite, and L'Equipe.
Famous
Sufferers - Female Celebrities With Eating Disorders
The following women are very courageous
to talk about their eating disorder and I'd like to thank them for their
honesty, courage and openness.
Singer Britney Spears confessed that
she has been suffering from bulimia since she was 16. She
eats lots of junk food and then makes herself vomit to avoid
putting on weight. Britney said she managed to stop the dangerous
habit during her two pregnancies. But as soon as her sons
were born, she began the desperately unhealthy cycle again
in an effort to lose her added baby weight.
Singer Ashlee Simpson (sister of singer
and actress Jessica Simpson) has publicly admitted that she
battled with an eating disorder during her pre-teen years.
"When I went to ballet school, I was around a lot of girls
with eating disorders, and I actually had a minor one myself.
But then my parents stepped in and made me eat."
Actress Jessica Alba, has been quoted as saying,
"I got obsessed with it. A lot of girls have eating disorders and I did too. I
got too thin. Now, I am concentrating on being normal."
Actress
Mary-Kate Olsen ('The Olsen Twins') checked into an eating disorder treatment
center and underwent treatment for anorexia after months of speculation and rumours
about her thin appearance and denying of being anorexic. Mary-Kate celebrated
beating her eating disorder by giving away clothes that no longer fit her. She
donated thousands of dollars worth of designer clothes to a thrift store in Hollywood.
Mary-Kate has gained a bit of weight again and is happy with her new-found curves
and also decided to keep the weight on and to get rid of her skinny wardrobe.
Actress and singer Lindsay Lohan, who has had a quick
rise to fame, struggled with both bulimia and anorexia from 2004-2005. She had
gotten to the point of total exhaustion and spent a night thinking she was going
to die. "I lay there screaming, throwing things, because the pains were so intense
in my head and my liver. In the end I didn't even have the strength to take a
shower. It was terrifying." ... "I was making myself sick. Sometimes being that
thin doesn't look healthy. I kind of didn't realize that. One time when someone
asked me if I was OK I just started bawling. I knew I had a problem and just could
not admit it. My arms were disgusting. I had no arms. I had people sit me down
and say, 'You're going to die if you don't take care of yourself'." ... "You have
to hit rock bottom sometimes to get yourself back to the top."
Actress
Christina Ricci (who also admitted to cutting herself in the past) has commented
on her anorexia by saying, "I had a brief flirtation with anorexia and when I
was recovering from that, I put on a lot of weight, which was very difficult for
me. In a way, I was trying to get rid of my breasts. Everyone my age wanted them,
so it was like, whoo-ooo. Then I started hating them. And for all of my movies,
I was supposed to be younger, so I'd have to strap them down."
Singer
Katharine McPhee, American Idol runner-up, struggled with bulimia while auditioning
for American Idol in San Francisco in August 2005. She suffered from an eating
disorder for 6 years, since she was 17 years old. Afer her audition was successful,
Katharine decided to get help. "My bulimia was really getting out of control."
She enrolled at Los Angeles's Eating Disorder Center of California, where she
spent three months undergoing group and individual therapy six days a week. Katharine
says today that American Idol has saved her life. She believes that if she didn't
audition for the show, she would probably still struggle. Katharine has learned
that there is no "bad" food - you can have everything as long as you
watch how much you eat. In September 2006, Katharine and her sister, Adriana,
sat down with Dr. Keith Ablow (The
Dr. Keith Ablow Show) for an exclusive interview about their close bond and
their childhood. The American Idol runner up also told about her childhood struggles
with self esteem and her battle and triumph over her eating disorder: "There
is a solution for eating disorders. And not just eating disorders, but addictions.
You are able to over come it and I think that asking for help is the first step."
Dancer,
choreograph and singer Paula Abdul (American Idol Judge) battled bulimia
and decided to check herself in a clinic, back in 1994. Her negative feelings
about her own body image came as early as seven years old when she began dancing,
but "it didn't manifest into a full-blown eating disorder until I was in high
school." Today Paula Abdul is a spokesperson for the National Eating Disorders
Association (NEDA). Paula courageously speaks out about her own past battles,
in hopes of encouraging young women to take the scary, but necessary, steps to
seek help. "It is one of the toughest things to talk about, bar none, and it is
one of the hardest disorders to deal with because it's not black or white. Eating
disorders really have nothing to do with food, it's about feelings."
Singer Kelly Clarkson suffered from bulimia
when she was younger after being turned down after auditions
for her high school musical , before she found fame on American
Idol and won the show in 2002. Kelly was determined to slim
down after she lost out at an audition to another girl. Kelly
was not cast in the production and instead of moving on, thought,
"If I came back and I'm cuter and thinner…then I'll get
the role." The girl who did end up being cast was not
as talented but thin and beautiful in Clarkson's eyes. She
began starving herself in order to lose weight and return
to school a new person (on the outside). Six months later,
a friend of hers called Kelly on her newfound behavior and
she says, "One of my guy friends caught on to it, and
I just felt so ashamed and embarrassed. I literally went cold
turkey and snapped out of it." Clarkson is now thriving
and says she works hard everyday to foster a positive body
image for herself. By doing this, she is helping thousands
of teenaged girls that look up to her and love her music,
gain a new role model who feels strongly about staying healthy.
In comments about her butt, she laughs, "I’ve got a butt,
I'm Greek- I can't help that. And I think it's good for people
to see normal." Kelly admits she is now happy with her
body but still feels the pressure to be thin. However she
is determined never to fall victim to body-image problems
again.
Actress Felicity Huffman (Desperate Housewives) battled both bulimia and
anorexia from her teens into her 20s.
In her younger years,
actress Angelina Jolie battled an eating disorder. She also admitted to
cutting herself in the past and that she used to hurt herself as a way of coping.
Model
Janice Dickinson, who was also emotionally, physically and sexually abused
as a child by her late father, suffered from bulimia in the past. Janice wrote
a book about her life called "No Lifeguard : The Accidental Life of the
World's First Supermodel", in which she talks with brutal honesty about
her struggles, addictions, good and bad times.
'Reba'
actress Scarlett Pomers spoke openly about her battle with anorexia and
road to recovery on the Tyra Banks Show in February 2006. She didn't speak about
her weight and didn't reveal any methods of her weight loss because she doesn't
want other sufferers to use them as diet tips. Now, Scarlet is a spokesperson
for The National Eating Disorder Association (NEDA) and has established her Arch-Angels
Fund within the National Eating Disorders Association to raise awareness and funds
for eating disorders advocacy, education and treatment.
Actress
Jamie-Lynn Sigler (The Sopranos) battled with an eating disorder and spoke
publicly about her eating problem
and
her addiction to exercising. She uses her celebrity to raise awareness about eating
disorders and is now a spokesperson for the National Eating Disorder Association
(NEDA). Jamie wrote a book called " Wise Girl - What I’ve Learned About
Life, Love, and Loss" and openly shares her story about her struggles
with an eating disorder, how her obsession with weight nearly destroyed her career
and the dark side of overnight success. "It is a tough thing to talk about it,
but it is actually therapeutic for me."
Award-winning actress Jane Fonda revealed
several years ago that she had been a secret bulimic
from age 12, and struggled with anorexia and bulimia
for 30 years. Jane became one of the first Hollywood
actresses to break the silence and talk openly about
eating disorders and compained to raise awarness about
anorexia and bulimia. In her autobiography "My
Life So Far", Jane honestly talks about her
30 year battle with eating disorders.
Former 'The View' co-host Meredith Vieira
said that she had an eating disorder and body images issues
when she was younger. Meredith now has a yearlong series called
'Meredith's Club' which designed to help educate children
on healthy eating and the importance of exercise.
Actress Brittany Snow revealed she struggled
with anorexia. She was concerned with her weight at only 12
years old when she was shooting the soap opera "Guiding
Light". It began with her co stars recommending this
or that diet to lose weight (these are adult women advising
a 12 year old who wasn’t overweight). "It kind of progressed
into this thing where I needed to always be dieting and losing
weight and more weight. It became my life and I didn’t have
any friends and this was definitely my best friend and I held
on to it really tight". The end of the rope came when
she started cutting herself. The pain was unbearable but whenever
she saw the scars, it would remind her to punish herself further
by not eating. "I knew that was a really low number and
I knew that my hair was falling out and I had really weird
skin. My face looked really weird and I was getting this fuzz
on my face and I was always cold– always to the point of uncontrollably
shaking." When Brittany was 19 years old, she went to
rehab to tackle her eating disorder and cutting behavior.
This led her to deal with depression and what was causing
her to do herself harm. She now feels better about herself
and is striving to not let the pressure to be thin get to
her again. Now 21, she hopes that by speaking out she can
help those who might be going through the same thing.
Princess Diana struggled
with an eating disorder and also admitted that she used to self-harm herself.
The following is an extract of an interview of Princess Diana about her battle
with bulimia - "I had bulimia for a number of years. And that's like a secret
disease. You inflict it upon yourself because your self-esteem is at a low ebb,
and you don't think you're worthy or valuable. You fill your stomach up four or
five times a day - some do it more - and it gives you a feeling of comfort. It's
like having a pair of arms around you, but it's temporarily, temporary. Then you're
disgusted at the bloatedness of your stomach, and then you bring it all up again.
And it's a repetitive pattern, which is very destructive to yourself." Diana
also admitted in a television interview that she intentionally cut her arms and
legs and had thrown herself down a flight of stairs on more than one occasion.
Singer Melanie Chisholm (Melanie C - former Sporty
Spice from the Spice Girls) publicly admitted suffering from an eating disorder
and depression. Throughout the time she was in the "Spice Girls", Melanie
alternated between starving herself and excessive exercise. "My mum assumed my
tiny body was a result of being busy with the band and working out regularly."
Singer
Geri Halliwell (former Ginger Spice from the Spice Girls) publicly admitted
suffering from bulimia and binge eating for several years. "I realised I couldn't
control this monster anymore. I needed to find help." Her piece of advice
for those who are struggling - "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." Geri has written a book called "Just For The Record"
in which she talks with brutal honesty about her life, including battling and
ocervoming eating disorders, which she has struggled with since childhood.
Victoria
Beckham (Victoria Adams, former Posh Spice from the Spice Girls) publicly
admitted struggling with an eating disorder in the early days of the Spice Girls,
after years "in denial". "I was very obsessed. I mean, I could tell
you the fat content and the calorie content in absolutely anything," she told
ABC's 20/20 in 2003. While being a Spice Girl, Victoria was under a lot of pressure
from the management to lose
weight
and stay slim. Beckham also said that bandmate Geri Halliwell (Ginger Spice) encouraged
her and Melanie C (Sporty Spice) to do sports and take liquid meal substitutes.
Victoria eventually started to binge eat and in one passage from her autobiography
she describes eating 10 bowls of cereals at once. In her book "Learning
To Fly", which also contains a lot of pictures of the star, Victoria
talks about her obsession with her appearance and describes her illness.
Actress
Sally Field struggled with an eating disorder in the past. Sally began her
three-year battle with anorexia and bulimia at the age of 20. "Everybody
then was Twiggy, except me."
Actress Calista Flockhart
admitted after years of being in denial that she struggled with anorexia while
filming the TV show 'Ally Mc Beal'. "I started under-eating, over-exercising,
pushing myself too hard and brutalizing my immune system."
Former
'Ally Mc Beal' actress Courtney Thorne-Smith battled an eating disorder.
Courtney developed anorexia due to the pressure to be thin. Her slide into anorexia
led her to quit the television show 'Ally Mc Beal'.
Former
'Ally McBeal' actress Portia de Rossi admitted to an eating disorder and
blamed Hollywood's pressure to stay skinny for developing an eating disorder.
Top fashion model and actress Carrie Otis starved herself
for about 17 years and nearly died in her quest for thinness. Today, she is healthy
and trying to educate other women about the deadly dangers of eating disorders.
"I had been on this insane diet for almost 17 years to maintain the weight
that was demanded of me when I was modeling. My diet was really starvation. I
am not naturally that thin."
Singer and actress Brandy
was sectrely struggling with an eating disorder, ""It was destroying me,
but I looked great and that is what mattered. And it was crazy". Today she
is healthy and most recently gave birth to a gorgeous baby girl.
Actress
Alexandra Paul (Baywatch) struggled with an eating disorder in the past.
Actress
Elisa Donovan (Sabrina - The Teenage Witch, Clueless) suffered from an
an eating disorder in the past. "For me, therapy has been the single most
important part of recovery." "There's a period of time when you need
to acknowledge it. First to yourself, then to others." Elisa shares her story
in the book Feeding The Fame - Celebrities Tell Their Real-Life Stories
of Eating Disorders and Recovery.
Canadian
singer Alanis Morissette has admitted that she has struggled with anorexia
and bulimia between the ages of 14 and 18 when she was trying to break into the
music business. She wrote the song "Perfect" (from Jagged Little Pill
album), inspired by her eating disorder recovery. Click here to go to the "Perfect"
lyrics.
Singer Janet Jackson has been quoted in the
media as having an ongoing battle with an eating disorder.
Sharon
Osbourne (married to Ozzy Ousbourne), who has survived deadly colon cancer
in the past, has confessed she has been suffering from bulimia for 35 years and
she is still struggling. "I've been able to conquer just about everything except
bulimia." Sharin had gastric bypass surgery but still battles with her eating
disorder.
Comedian and author Joan Rivers battled bulimia
for years.
Singer and actress Dolly Parton reportedly
struggled with anorexia.
Country
singer and songwriter Wynonna Judd (one half of the legandary mother-daughter
duo 'The Juddds', and sister
of
actress Ashley Judd who does not struggle with an eating disorder but was in therapy
because of major depression), who also suffered sexual abuse as a child, struggles
with emotional eating and is on her journey towards healthy eating. "It's not
about size, I'll let that take care of itself. The work I'm doing is inside. The
physical will follow the mental and spiritual and emotional." In her book "Coming
Home To Myself", Wynonna tells her story and gives readers an honest
insight in her life and emotions.
Canadian
singer Biff Naked suffered from anorexia in the past.
Actress
Mariel Hemingway (granddaughter of famed novelist Ernest Hemingway) was
born into a troubled family. She was growing up under the shadow of her grandfather's
suicide, and years later also Mariel's middle sister Margaux
commited
suicide. Mariel Hemingway had a turbulent life and also struggled with a severe
eating disorders. In her book "Finding My Balance: a Memoirwith
Yoga", Mariel taks about her life, childhood and family relationships,
early success and fame, personal battles with her own inner demons, and how yoga
and motherhood helped her reconnect with herself and become centered. Mariel Hemingway
now owns a yoga studio in Idaho and occasionally teaches yoga at her studio.
Singer
and songwriter Fiona Apple became anorexic after being raped outside of
her mother's home at the age of twelve. She says she was not anorexic out of a
desire to be thin, but as a reaction to being raped. She also admitted to having
self-injurious behaviours in the past.
Actress Audrey Hepburn
struggled with anorexia and depression - which was unknown to the public during
her career. She was known to lose weight under pressure and to be "strange"
about food. Rumour has it that current actresses are being "harassed" by the media
who points to Audrey as an example of a thin woman without an eating disorder,
but that was NOT the case!
Anna Freud (Sigmund Freud's
daughter), who was also a psychotherapist, documented that she struggled with
anorexia when she was younger.
Crown-Princess Victoria of Sweden admitted
struggling with anorexia and came to the U.S. for eating disorder
treatment and has since been in recovery.
Jenny Lauren, fashion designer Ralph Lauren's
niece, suffered from anorexia and bulimia and wrote
a book about her struggles, called "Homesick:
A Memoir of Family, Food, and Finding Hope". Jenny
grew up in a loving family with siblings she got along
with and parents she was close to. Ralph Lauren wasn’t
famous until later, so her uncle was only a hard working
man who loved fashion above all else. Soon enough, though,
her uncle’s fame grew and she found herself a model
in his early shows and being acknowledged by him as
a true beauty. The adult world around her was focused
on perfect figures and impeccable manners, both of which
Jenny internalized. By her 10th birthday, she had started
starving herself on a trip away from her family to dance
camp. Watching the skinny girls around her eat to their
heart’s content and not gaining weight made her confused
and she shrunk away from food even more. Upon her return
home, though, she saw the
shocked look on her parents faces because of her weight
loss and immediately began eating again in the comfort
of her families safety. This would prove a theme that
followed her into adulthood, where breaking away from
her parents proved a difficult task. Through the years
of binging, purging, excessive exercise, bad boyfriends
and young dramas, Jenny’s body began to break down.
By 24 years old, she was living in chronic pain and
decided to write this book.
Cranberries lead singer Dolores O'Riordan
struggled with an eating disorder.
Dancer
and actress Vera Ellen siletly battled anorexia throughout much of the
50s, a time when "eating disorder" was not a vocabulary item. Her long
battle with anorexia led to premature aging and in the movie "White Christmas"
(1954) all of Vera's costumes were designed to cover her neck, which was aged
beyond her years due to her eating disorder.
British actress
Kate Winslet (Titanic, Sense and Sensibility) has admitted to struggling
with eating disorders and Kate is honest and outspoken about her life-long weight
problems. "My uncle is a chef. My mother is a fantastic cook. We're all big eaters.
It was kind of unavoidable." In high school, she was a bit heavier and classmates
called her "Blubber." The criticisms led to depression and eating disorders. Today,
Kate Winslet is healthy, she loves her body and her curves and refuses to play
the 'super-skinny game'. "I'm happy with the way I am. I'm not like American film
stars. I'm naturally curvy. This is me, like it or lump it. People think that
if a woman isn't rail-thin, then there must be something wrong with her - it's
such nonsense."
Actress Kate Beckinsale (Underworld,
Pearl Harbor) struggled with an eating disorder during her teen years, before
she decided to start acting. She has frankly spoken in interviews about her eating
problem. Thanks to the support of her family and therapy Kate was able to recover
from anorexia. "People keep asking me about it but I don't want to be famous for
being a former anorexic."
The most influential person on TV,
Oprah Winfrey, who was raped at the age of nine by her ninteen year old
cousin and repeatedly sexually abused, struggled with disordered eating. Oprah,
who said about her weight "It's always a struggle. I've felt safer and more
protected when I was heavy. Food has always been comforting.", is in the process
of writing a book about her weight loss battle to share her struggles with the
world. The books is expected to come out in January 2007.
Model
Christine Alt (Carol Alt's sister) developed an eating disorder under the
pressure to slim down from modeling agencies and clients. "I think that half the
women in this world who are plus-size would not be if they never went on a diet."
American Pie actress Tara Reid struggled with anorexia
after the breakup with fiance MTV DJ Carson Daly. Tara's disorder ended in late
2001 and she is now healthy again.
American poet Anne Sexton
(1928-1974), who was sexually abused in childhood and committed suicide at the
age of 46, suffered from anorexia and depression.
Singer,
songwriter and publisher Cynthia French struggled with eating disorders
in the past and has begun touring the country speaking publicly about her experiences
with eating disorders and how she overcame them. Cynthia wrote a book called "Humanville"
which is spiritually based novel about a young women who tries to become a famous
singer and also struggles with both, bulimia and anorexia.
Poeth
and author Syliva Plath struggled with an eating disorder and depression.
Actress and voice talent Yeardley Smith (the voice
of Lisa Simpson on "The Simpsons) suffered from bulimia for 25 years. Her
eating disorder started when she was about 13 years old. Coincidentially, her
character Lisa Simpson suffered through an eating disorder in the episode "Sleeping
with the Enemy". She is currently performing in a one-woman show called "More"
where she exposes her eating disorder. Yeardley has been binge-purge free for
two years as of February 18, 2005.
Actress Mary McDonough
(The Waltons) struggled with an eating disorder.
Model Kate
Dillon struggled with anorexia for seven years while working as a top print
and runway model. Even though she was underweight, she was told by photographers
to lose some more weight. She quit modeling for a while and worked on her body
image and recovery. Kate now works as "plus-size" model and is a spokesperson
for an eating disorder organisation. "I weigh myself every week to make sure I'm
not losing any weight. I love my body." ... "I've done better as a 'big'
girl than most 'skinny' girls do as skinny models, so it's been amazing. But what’s
more amazing is that I did it on my own terms."
Model
Madhu Sapre (Miss India 1992; later second runner-up at Miss Universe)
who was an athlete before getting into modelling, struggled with an eating disorder
in the past. "There came a point in my life where I felt I was not doing
anything constructive. Though I was working I was left unsatisfied at the end
of the day. If I was not modelling, I was heavily into partying. If not partying,
I was surrounded by people. This was my life then. I felt empty from within. Nothing
I did at that time made me happy. I would wake up in the morning and not feel
upto it. This went on for a while until one day I said to myself, 'Enough is enough.
This is not what I want. I decided to go in for a complete change. I began with
meditation, read a lot of books -- all kinds, spiritual, non-spiritual, fiction,
non-fiction. That's when my life actually began. I realised that happiness in
life is doing the little things that you want to do. All your life you can run
after things you want to achieve. But to feel fulfilled one has to treat one well.
And since then I have calmed down and today I am more focussed and feel much more
confident than before."
Actress Kelly Ripa (Live
with Regis and Kelly; Face and Hope) used to have an eating disorder and struggled
with anorexia before her second pregnancy.
Actress Ally
Sheedy (best known for her role in the 1985 hit "The Breakfast Club") struggled
with anorexia and bulimia in the past and at one point also was addicted to pain
killer medications.
Academy
Award winning actress and best selling author Patty Duke, who also has
bipolar disorder, struggled with eating disorders for years, also experimented
with drugs and alcohol, attempted suicide due to manic depression, and was committed
a few times to a mental hospital. In her first book, “Call Me Anna: The Autobiography
of Patty Duke”, Patty talks about her strange and unhappy childhood, her acting
career, the dark side of fame, marriages and divorces, her addictions, illnesses,
breakdowns, and the long road to recovery.
In
her second book “A Brilliant Madness”, she discusses her personal bout
with Bipolar Disorder, and Patty spends a great deal of time and travel speaking
on the topic of mental illness. She tells the story of her manic-depressive illness
and its successful treatment, while in alternating chapters medical-writer Hochman
(Heart Bypass, 1982) explains the facts of the disease and the methods of treatment
currently available. "I knew from a very young age that there was something very
wrong with me, but I thought it was just that I was not..."
Actress
Tracey Gold suffered from an eating disorder and was first diagnosed with
anorexia at the age of 12. She went into treatment and recovered after only a
couple of months. But at the age of 19, in 1988, she relapsed and fell back into
the vicious cycle of anorexia. Tracey eventually recovered and resumed her acting
career which was effected negatively by her eating disorder. In 1994 Tracey played
a young woman suffering from anorecia in the TV movie "For the Love of Nancy"
which based on the true story of anorexia victim Nancy Walsh.
Actress
Kellie Martin developed anorexia when she was cast in "Life Goes On".
Actress Tracey Gold (who also struggled with an eating disorder in the past) convinced
her to seek help.
Vocalist, pianist and song writer Vanessa
Carlton suffered from depression for many years and also struggled with an
eating disorder. "I became obsessed with my diet and with working out. I
convinced myself I was just following a regimen, but when l threw up for the first
time, I got scared." Today, Vanessa is healthy and supports mpower
a web resource for teens struggling with depression that focuses on how music
can help you overcome rought times. "Having dealt with depression on a personal
level, I know how alone and alienated once can feel. Fortunately, you are not
alone. Life can be better. mpower
can help. What's great about the site is that if you're uncomfortable telling
your parents or friends how you're feeling, you can still get information online."
After
winning her fight with an eating disorder, Halie Loren releases her first
solo album, Full Circle.
She struggled with an eating disorder for years, during which she was also pursuing
her music career. She says that the lyrics to one song in particular, Empty, which
was written after her recovery, "...is sort of me talking to my old self, trying
to bring that 'self' to her senses. I've had a lot of comments from both women
and men, but mostly young women, who relate to the feelings expressed in it."
The song reflects her inner pain and conflict that results from disordered eating.
The album is filled with such honest and profound lyrics, bringing the listener
deep into her world of both joy and pain.
Allegra Versace
(daugther of famous designer Donatella Versace and Gianni Versace's niece), who
recently inherited the Versace fashion empire and became Versace's major shareholder
when she turned 18 in June 2004, struggles with anorexia.
Model
Crystal Renn was discovered at the age of 14 by a model scout and told
to lose weight if she wanted a career in the modeling world. As a result of her
weight loss and the pressure to stay slim, Crystal developed an eating disorder.
She was obsessed about what she ate and overexercised. Today, Crystal is healthy
again and works as a plus-size model and is more successful than ever before.
Crystal also talked on the Trya Banks show, with the topic "The Dark Side
Of Modeling", about her struggles with an eating disorder and the pressure
she felt to stay slim.
Pinup and model sisters Sia and
Shane Barbi - known as the Barbi Twins - battled anorexia and bulimia.
The sisters have written a book about their struggles with an eating disorder
(Barbi Twins - Dying To Be Healthy: Millennium Dieting and Nutrition) and are
touring through schools and colleges, raising eating disorder awareness.
Model
and actress Sandra Dee (who was also sexually abused at the age of 8 by
her stepfather) struggled with an eating disorder and had a drinking problem for
decades. "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."
Actress Susan Dey battled anorexia and
bulimia. Susan was so underweight and malnourished she stopped
having menstrual periods and her fingers turned orange from
eating almost nothing but carrots.
Singer and songwriter Natalie Grant struggled
with eating disorders in the past and even wrote a book called
'The Real Me' about her experiences with these disorders.
"When I was 19, I struggled with my self-image and an
eating disorder. I was at a Bible college, and I got engaged
to a boy everybody loved. He literally drove on campus in
a red sports car. All the girls liked him and somehow, he
chose me. I thought I could never break up with him because
everybody would think I was crazy—even though he treated me
badly. He didn't love me for who I am. He said horrible things
to me. He would see a magazine cover and he'd be like, "That's
what I think is beautiful." One of my teeth was crooked and
he paid for me to have braces, because he wanted my teeth
to be perfect. It was just one of those very unhealthy relationships.
To try to please him, I developed bulimia. I thought of it
like an easy diet plan, because you ate and then you just
lost weight. It helped me feel like this was an area where
I was in control, instead of my boyfriend—but actually, I
was out of control. I would just talk myself out of thinking
I had a problem: Well, I'm not really getting sick. I'm just
throwing up my food. That doesn't hurt you. But it did. That
continued for about two years."
Beauty pageant winner and actress
Maria Conchita Alonso, the first contemporary international Latina superstar,
recently began speaking out about her struggle with bulimia. Struggling with the
condition for nearly a decade, resulting in damage to her esophagus and her teeth,
she eventually sought help for the self-destructive syndrome. With the help of
a balanced diet, exercise, and a physician specializing in eating disorders, Maria
has learned to control her condition. She also shares her story with audiences
across the country in hopes of helping the millions of people afflicted with eating
disorders.
Actress Catherine Oxenberg (daughter of Princess
Elizabeth of Yugoslavia and a distant relative of Britain's royal family; she
played Princess Di in 'The Royal Romance of Charles and Diana' in 1982, and also
1992 in 'Charles and Diana: Unhappily Ever After'), who was also sexually abused
within the family as a child, struggled with an eating disorder for 20 years and
finally found the strength to beat bulimia and successfully won this battle. "I
really thought I would never get through it. I'd put myself in rehab and I would
be fine for nine months and then I'd blow it again." Catherine also said
thather bulimia had massive physical repercussions on her body. "I destroyed my
teeth because you're vomiting hydrochloric acid so that acid eats away at the
enamel in your teeth, so I've had horrendous problems with my teeth."
Former 'Family Ties' actress Justine Bateman
struggled with bulimia. Justine is now an activist for recovery
and speaks from time to time at eating disorder support groups
about her experiences with an eating disorder.
Singerand actress Chloe Rose Lattanzi
(daughter of Olivia Newton-John) speaks openly about her past
anorexia struggles. In an interview with Australian's Woman's
Day magazine, she says "I think that it's hard for a
parent to notice what their child is going through. Maybe
sometimes parents don't want to notice what's going on. As
a parent, you want to think everything is ok." ... "It
hurts my heart when I think how many girls are going through
that [an eating disorder], and I'm lucky that I got through
it because it's a fatal thing if you don't pull through it."
... "... the parent needs to look at why their child
has developed such a detrimental disease. And look at the
issues causing the disorder. Listen to your child. Be supportive.
... Eating disorders are usually nothing to do with food.
Parents need to be with their child to see them through it.
All the therapists in the world can't help if the parents
aren't present, loving and proactive."
'JAG'
actress Catherine Bell struggled with an eating disorder in the past.
Activist
Erin Brockovich had battled anorexia and had panic disorder.
Actress
Maureen McCormick (who played Marcia Brady on the Brady Show) suffered from
bulimia, although not while she was filming the show. "Back on the show, I could
eat whatever I wanted," she remembers. Maureen struggled with bulimia in her late
teens and early 20s - after the Brady Show ended. "Things changed. I am 5-foot
3-inches. At some point I stopped growing, and it is harder when you are small.
We never dealt with [eating disorders] on the show." But fear helped Maureen stop
purging and start taking care of herself. "I had some friends going through the
same thing with me at the same time," she states. "I am really stubborn and really
strong-willed when I put my mind to something. When I do, I can say no and turn
things around."
British singer Amy Winehouse confessed
she struggled with disordered eating since 2004. Her confession
was made after pictures were published of her looking very
thin, opposed to her naturally curvy figure. She is firm that
she is in recovery but is still insecure. "I went through
every eating disorder you can have. A little bit of anorexia,
a little bit of bulimia," she said, "I'm not totally
okay now but I don’t think any woman is."
Actress Thandie Newton ("The Persuit
Of Happyness", "Mission Impossible II") is
an eating disorder survivor - she struggled with bulimia in
the past. How it stared: Beginning at around age 14, she was
training for ballet exams and restricting her food intake.
"I had terrible bulimia for about a year." Thandie also
dated busive men shortly afterwards and her bulimia escalated
by the time she reached her early 20's. "I'd been involved
with this guy for a long time. He was much older than me and
I felt a lot of shame about my sexual relationship with him.
I would have these dinners with him and then go back to the
flat and I'd throw up. Then I went out with someone who was
emotionally abusive, criticizing me the whole time."
Everything took a hopeful turnaround, though, when she was
on location in Los Angeles for a film. Shooting was taking
a toll and she ended up seeing a professional therapist to
help her deal with it. After the first session, she felt immediately
better because she had made the connection between the shame
she felt and the self abuse she was doing to herself. Today,
Thandie says that she's living a wonderful life now. She lives
with her husband, screenwriter Ol Parker, and her two children
(6 and 2) together in London. in 1998, and they live together
in northwest London. Success has blessed her with awards and
fame, which she keeps humble and balanced about.
Former Model and television host Sophie
Gregoire (Quebec correspondent for CTV’s entertainment show eTalk Daily) -
who is married to Justin Trudeau, son of former Canadian Prime Minister Pierre
Trudeau - struggled with eating disorders from ages 17-21 and is now recovered.
It began with her trying to please those around her, as well as from peer pressure
from society. Sophie also holds the media responsible for their obsession with
beauty. Eventually Gregoire revealed her illness to her parents, who sent her
to a therapist for treatment. Sophie now works with the Montreal-based BACA Eating
Disorder Clinic to help and support other individuals struggling with eating disorders.
Actress and model Peta Wilson (La Femme Nikita) suffered
from an eating disorder. She developed her eating disorder because of her parents'
divorce and the pressure of modeling.
Plus-size model Velvet d'Amour struggled
with an eating disorder in the past, and was unhappy and depressed.
"I wanted to be a model when I was younger," Velvet says.
"Around 18 years old is when I tried to model, but it never
really happened because I could never be thin enough." Today,
she has a healthy attitude towards her body and only models
to prove a point: "I consider what I do more as a statement
than about modeling. I'm just trying to push people's ideas
of what their perspectives of beauty are."
19 year old Miss America 2008 Kirsten Haglund
was diagnosed with anorexia three years ago. She now plans
to spend her yearlong reign trying to raise awareness of eating
disorders, promoting the pageant and helping the Children's
Miracle Network while maintaining a healthy lifestyle and
exercise.
Austrian Empress Elisabeth, better known
as 'Sisi' (1837-1898), who was also a poet and musician, was known for her beauty
and was obsessed with her looks. She suffered from anorexia and overexercised.
Over a period of decades she developed strategies for weight reduction such as
fasting rituals, gymnastics, hour-long horse-riding and forced marching. Numerous
documents repeatedly describe her considerable fear of weight gain and the psychopathological
changes specific for anorexia nervosa. Up to her death, she was stabbed to death
with a file in a pointless act at the age of 60 by a madman in Geneva in Switzerland,
she succeeded in restricting to a minimum not only her body weight but also her
social obligations. The documents on the life of Empress Elisabeth suggest that
cultural, historical and psychodynamic factors play an important role in the genesis
of this disorder.
Famous
Sufferers - Male Celebrities with Eating Disorders
There
are many female celebrities who have come out into the open with their eating
disorder struggles, but there are only a few male celebrities coming forward and
going public about their struggles with an eating disorder.
The following men are very courageous
to talk about their eating disorder and I'd like to thank them for their
honesty, courage and openness.
Silverchair
lead singer Daniel Johns suffered from an eating disorder and went public
about his struggles with anorexia. In the song "Ana's Song" (from Neon
Ballroom album), Daniel talks about his experience with an eating disorder. Click
here to read the lyrics of "Ana's
Song".
Elton John has gone public about his struggles with
bulimia, as well as a less common eating disorder of chewing and spitting.
Actor
Billy Bob Thornton has been open about his weight issues and went public with
his struggles with anorexia, which he developed after losing weight for a role.
Actor Dennis Quaid spoke out about his battle with anorexia in the
mid-1990s which he developed because he had to lose some weight for a role in
a movie. "My arms were so skinny that I couldn't pull myself out of a pool. ...
For many years, I was obsessed about what I was eating, how many calories it had,
and how much exercise I'd have to do."
Actor Matthew Perry (Friends)
was battling an eating disorder in the past.
"The King of Rock and
Roll" Elvis Presley suffered bipolar disorder (a more technical term
for manic depression) and struggled substance abuse, an eating disorder and chronic
depression. It is now known fact that Elvis died in 1977 as a result of drug addiction
by self medicating on prescription drugs and very bad eating habits.
Director
Alfred Hitchcock struggled with compulsive eating.
Musician Richey
James struggled with anorexia.
Former Beattle and music legend John
Lennon struggled with an eating disorder. Before John's murder in 1980 in
New York, he was severely anorexic.
Former Coronation Street actor Adam
Rickitt struggled with bulimia at the age of 16. "I was frightened and
doing my best to keep it a secret." "I used food to escape depression. After just
5 months, my bulimia had taken over my life. My weight had plummeted, I looked
absolutely awful. I constantly wore a scarf to try and cover up my gaunt face."
Fitness and diet guru Richard Simmons suffered from an eating disorder
in the past.
Singer and actor Adam Ant (one of the most charismatic
and revolutionary pop stars of the 1980s) struggled with manic depression, battled
anorexia and had suicidal tendencies.
Poet Franz Kafka, who wrote the short story "The
Hunger Artist", suffered from anorexia.
Businessman David Beckermert, a successful CEO and
President of a billion-dollar Calgary oil and gas company,
openly talked about his struggle with bulimia, which he suffered
with for most of his adult life. He began bulimic behavior
when he was in university. He admitted to purging a couple
of times a day, feeling out of control and powerless. "I'd
overeat, then go to the bathroom and puke. I didn't think
about it any more than I did washing my hands or brushing
my teeth," he says in an interview (The Vancouver Sun, 2007).
Now, he would now like to lessen his job as an executive and
send more energy helping others with eating disorders and
emotional eating issues.
Brazilian model Ana Carolina Reston died on November 14th, 2005, at
the age of 21 of kidney failure due to anorexia. She had been hospitalized since
October 25 for kidney malfunction which eventually led to her death. Ana Carolina
modeled for Ford, Elite, and L'Equipe.
Uruguayan supermodel Luisel Ramos
died on August 2nd 2006 at a quarter past nine in the evening, from anorexia-induced
heart failure while participating in a fashion show during Fashion Week in Montevideo,
Urugay. Luisel felt ill after the catwalk, fainted on her way to the dressing
room and died in spite of the medical attention she received from a mobile hospital
unit. She died at the age of 22. The incident followed a conversation in which
the young model was told by her agency that she could "make it big" if she lost
a few pounds - which she did. For three months prior to the incident, Luisel was
on an extremely dangerous low-calorie diet and she reached the body size that
the fashion world so openly aspires. Reportedly, Luisel starved herself for a
period of up to two weeks prior to the show. Minutes after stepping off the catwalk,
while going for a final costume change, she complained she didn’t feel well and
dropped dead. Luisel's death was one of the main reason why Spain initiated the
ban on super thin models on the runway in September 2006.
Singer Karen
Carpenter (great musician of the 70s and 80s) died at the age of 32 on February
4th, 1983, of a cardiac arrest caused by the strain that the eating disorder had
put on her heart. She struggled with anorexia for many years. Up until this point,
eating disorder were not taken seriously. No one spoke of any of this and no one
was aware of anorexia and it's devastating consequences.
World class gymnast
Christy Henrich died at the age of just 22 on July 26th, 1994, from the effects
of anorexia. Multiple organ failure was listed as the cause of her death.
Singer
and actress Lena Zavaroni died at the age of 35 on October 1st, 1999, from
bronchial pneumonia due to anorexia, following a 22-year eating disosrder battle.
Gymnast
Helga Brathen died at the age of 29 from effects of anorexia after struggling
with her eating disorder for many years.
On December 18th, 1997, Chris
Farley ("Saturday Night Live") died at the age of 33 from drug and
alcohol abuse as well as compulsive eating.
Boston ballet dancer Heidi
Guenther died at the age of 22 in 1997 as the result of an eating disorder.
After Heidi's tragic death of anorexia, an eating disorder program to fight eating
disorders among dancers was created.
German rower and 1988 Seoul Olympic
eight gold medallist Bahne Rabe died at the age of 37 on August 2nd 2001
as a result of an eating disorder. He had been suffering from anorexia for several
months and starved himself to death. Bahne was struck down by a lung infection
that his weakened body was unable to fight. Bahne retired from rowing before the
Atlanta Olympics in 1996 when he saw that he was unlikely to qualify. According
to a German newspaper, after ten years under strict training regime, with yearly
goals to achieve, Rabe found it hard to manage his everyday life on his own. He
had always been very aware of his body but in the past year had started to lose
weight dramatically and visited a clinic in March for the first time.
Comedienne Gilda Radner was one of the original
cast members of the comedy show Saturday Night Live.
Gilda was a bit heavy as a child and developed both,
anorexia and bulimia, as a teenager. She struggled with
eating disorders for many years. Gilda was very close
to her father, who died when she was only 12 years old.
Gilda died at the age of 43 as a result of ovarian cancer.
Polly Williams, one of the eating disorder
patients profiled in the HBO documentary "Thin,"
died on February 8, 2008, at the age of 33. Sources
say that the cause of death appeared to be suicide.
Since leaving the rehabilitation program where she participated
in the documentary, she had been working as a lobbyist
for the National Eating Disorders association and practicing
photography, but also continued to struggle with eating
disorders and depression.
The models we see in magazines are not real
- the pictures have been airbrushed (digitally removing cellulite, skin folds,
wrinkles, lines, freckles and blemishes, evening out uneven skin tone, making
hips smaller and legs longer - just to mention a few). No one, not even models,
looks that good without help!
Body features in the media are enhanced
with props, lighting angles, and computer techniques.
Body features from
photos of different people are combined to create the "perfect" image.
Photo
images can be completely computer generated to fit the look of the day.
"Body
doubles" are common in movies when body parts of lead actors don't measure up
to the "perfect" image.
The average woman in the U.S. wears a size 12-14.
Marilyn
Monroe - considered the sex symbol of all times - wore a size 12-14 and was 5
feet and 5 inches tall.
Nowadays, models weigh up to 20% less than what
is considered normal for their height and age.
There are 3 billion women
who don't look like supermodels and only eight who do. (quote from The Body Shop
ad campaign from 1997)
If Barbie were a real woman she wouldn't be able
to walk properly and would have to walk on all fours due to her proportions.
80
to 90% of eating disorders begin with a diet.
90% of individuals diagnosed
with eating disorders are female.
One out of ten patients with eating
disorders are male.
One out of every four college-aged girls struggles
with an eating disorder.
There are five times as many people with bulimia
as with anorexia.
About 50% of people who have been anorexic develop
bulimia or bulimic patterns.
70% of eating disorders last longer than
five years, with almost one quarter lasting more than 15 years. (Canadian Health
Network)
Eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of any mental
illness.
Without treatment, up to 20% of people with serious eating disorders
die. With treatment, that number falls to 2-3%.
The number of people
suffering with an eating disorders has doubled since the 1960s. (Journal of the
American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry)
The resolution of
an eating disorder is not just a matter of willpower. Experienced help is needed
to overcome an eating disorder.
The BIG lesson: Don't compare
yourself with what you see on television or in magazine. Embrace yourself the
way you are!
Celebrities,
Eating Disorder & the Media Articles:
The
Pressure To Be Thin In Hollywood - by Lisa Angelettie - Why do actresses
have to be so skinny? It has always been part of Hollywood -- the pressure to
be thin, young, and beautiful. In any given gossip magazine, you will find ...
Mary
Kate Olsen & Anorexia - by Lisa Angelettie - What drives famous people
to self-destructing behaviors and/or full-blown disorders? A look at Mary-Kate
Olsen of the Olsen twins. Is fame responsibile for Olsen twin's eating disorder?
Lindsay
Lohan-Celebrity Thin? - by Lisa Angelettie - Eating Disorders and celebrities:
Why do so many celebrities like Lindsay Lohan become shockingly thin?
Is
Nicole Richie Too Thin? - by Lisa Angelettie - There is a great debate
going on in Hollywood and everywhere else U.S.A. Celebrities are being scrutinized
more than ever. Make that female celebrities:) And in this ever growing ...
Trying
To Look Like Jennifer Aniston Nearly Killed Me - by Lisa Adams - An
obsession with looking like the Friends star led Rose Sadowski into a long, desperate
battle against the deadly eating disorders anorexia and bulimia.
Hollywood
Anorexia Nervosa - by Ryan Fyfe - Anorexia Nervosa is probably more
common in today's 'media' focused era more than it ever has been before.
Feel
Good When You Look in the Mirror - by Dana Krupinsky - The constant
exposure to the perfect women portrayed in ads influences women to be image conscious
and obsess over physical appearance. Instead of making a woman feel better about
her natural body, the media encourages her to strive towards an unreasonable goal.
So don’t feel bad when you look in the mirror; that’s what they want...
You
Don't Have to Be Eating Disordered to be Thin - by Abigail H. Natenshon
- Margaret, an emaciated 13-year-old patient recently sat in my office and stated
she wants to be thin, despite what her doctor and parents tell her about how she
has to gain weight. “I want to be thin and I will be thin,” she exclaimed.
Celebrities:
They Are Just People Too - by Scott Bianchi - Every time I go to the
supermarket and stand in line to check out I see dozens of magazines or tabloids
about celebrities. My question to anyone that buys these magazines or cares...
Unhealthy
Celebrity Obsessions - - by Lisa Angelettie - The announcement was
shocking to celebrity watchers around the globe. Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston
were separating!
Are Celebrities Happy
- by CD Mohatta - Before we begin asking if the celebrities are happy,
let us first find out what is happiness? If I feel good for an hour a day, and
horrible for the rest of the day, am I happy? What if I am happy for ...
How
to Stop the Media Attack on Your Body - by Nancy Hill - 53% of 13 year-old
girls and 80% of adult women spend every day disliking their bodies. It doesn't
have to be this way. People naturally have all sorts of different body shapes
and sizes. We don't have to let the media continue to define just one type of
beauty as the ideal. We don't have to let them continue to ruin countless lives
in their quest for more profits.
