Famous Celebrities And ED

Famous celebrities who have spoken publicly about their suffering with Eating Disorders:

Paula Abdul: 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."

Fiona Apple: 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 behaviors in the past.

The Barbie Twins: 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 (Barbie Twins - Dying To Be Healthy: Millennium Dieting and Nutrition) and are touring through schools and colleges, raising eating disorder awareness.

Victoria Beckham: Victoria Beckham (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.

Kate Beckinsale: Actress Kate Beckinsale 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."

Melanie Chisholm: 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."

Kelly Clarkson: The 'American Idol' winner struggled with bulimia for six months until friends discovered her secret and begged her to get help.

Diana, Princess of Wales: 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.

Calista Flockhart: 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."

Jane Fonda: 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 campaigned to raise awareness about anorexia and bulimia. In her autobiography "My Life So Far", Jane honestly talks about her 30 year battle with eating disorders.

Geri Halliwell: Singer Geri Halliwell (former Ginger Spice from the Spice Girls) publicly admitted suffering from bulimia and binge eating for several years. "I realized 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 overcoming eating disorders, which she has struggled with since childhood.

Alanis Morissette: 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.

Mary-Kate Olsen: Actress Mary-Kate Olsen ('The Olsen Twins') checked into an eating disorder treatment center and underwent treatment for anorexia after months of speculation and rumors 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.

Sharon Osbourne: (married to Ozzy Osbourne), 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." Sharon had gastric bypass surgery but still battles with her eating disorder.

Tara Reid: American Pie actress Tara Reid struggled with anorexia after the breakup with fiance MTV DJ Carson Daly.

Christina Ricci: 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."

Portia de Rossi: 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.

Ashlee Simpson: 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. "I was around a lot of girls with eating disorders."

Kate Winslet: 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."