Trends come and go, but one thing that (unfortunately) somehow sticks around for every generation is weird body standards. Whether it’s corsets or low-rise jeans, there’s always some kind of trend that emphasizes thinness… and then makes people self-conscious about just how thin they are. It’s an issue we all deal with to some extent, and sometimes, it can even lead to eating disorders.
Approximately 9% of the U.S. population will have an eating disorder at some point in their life. Living with an eating disorder can be an incredibly isolating experience. That’s why it’s really meaningful when people share their stories so they can connect with others. And it’s especially important when celebrities are open about their mental health. Celebs can be role models for millions of people, so when fans see how they handle their struggles, they can inspire others.
Body image issues touch us all, but these celebrities have been open about dealing with eating disorders.
(If you believe you are struggling with an eating disorder and need support, call the National Eating Disorders Association helpline at (800) 931-2237. You can also call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or text TALK to 741741 to message a trained crisis counselor from the Crisis Text Line for free.)
Celebrities Who Have Been Open About Eating Disorders
Lorde
Lorde recently opened up about how her relationship with food changed during the beginning of the pandemic, when she started “counting calories” and “monitoring her protein intake” more than usual. Then, in 2021, her eating disorder hit its peak while promoting her album Solar Power. “I felt so hungry and so weak,” she told Rolling Stone. “I was on TV [that] morning, and I didn’t eat because I wanted my tummy to be small in the dress. It was just this sucking of a life force or something.”
Demi Lovato
Demi Lovato has shared that she’s been in recovery for bulimia for about the last six years. “I’m trying to learn body acceptance rather than body positivity, because body positivity feels like, ‘I can’t even reach that yet.’ I have a nutritionist and a therapist that specializes in eating disorders,” she shared with Billboard.
Lady Gaga
Gaga has been very open about her mental and physical health, including battling anorexia and bulimia beginning when she was 15 years old. “I am better with food. I don’t have an eating disorder anymore,” she told Harper’s Bazaar in 2014.
Taylor Swift
In her movie Miss Americana, Taylor shared her “unhealthy” relationship with food. “My relationship with food was exactly the same psychology that I applied to everything else in my life: If I was given a pat on the head, I registered that as good. If I was given a punishment, I registered that as bad,” she told Variety in 2020 when the movie was released.
Gabourey Sidibe
In 2021, Gabourey revealed that she’s spent years battling bulimia and depression. “It felt like I was controlling my emotions — I was not, I was out of control. I was getting worse,” she said. “Being depressed is one thing, if you add an eating disorder on top of that, that’s a whole other monster you have to fight,” she said to PEOPLE.
Lily Collins
Lily wrote on Instagram, “Speaking out and opening up about my history with eating disorders has been one of the most terrifying but rewarding experiences of my life.”
Zayn Malik
While he was in One Direction, Zayn says he had an eating disorder and would go days “without eating anything at all.”
Zoë Kravitz
Zoë talked about having anorexia when she was in high school while promoting her movie The Road Within, where she played a character who also had anorexia.
Kesha
In 2017, Kesha shared that she was “slowly starving” herself when she was younger.
Ed Sheeran
Ed tries to break the stigma surrounding men and eating disorders by talking about his own experiences with binging and purging. “There’s certain things that, as a man talking about them, I feel mad uncomfortable,” Sheeran said to Rolling Stone. “It’s good to be honest…because so many [men] do the same thing and hide it.”
