Demi Lovato Opens Up About Her Eating Disorder
April 10, 2011 in Celebrity Quotes by Versus
18 year-old actress Demi Lovato recently opened up about a delicate subject in the hopes of helping other girls that are going through the same problems:
“If you are going through that dark period, go to your family and closest friends. Don’t put yourself in danger. It’s very crucial that you get your feelings out – but don’t ever inflict harm on your own body because your body is so sacred. I wish I could tell every young girl with an eating disorder, or who has harmed herself in any way, that she’s worthy of life and that her life has meaning. You can overcome and get through anything.”
“Yes, there have been times when I definitely have been tempted to get rid of my dinner. But I will deal with it for the rest of my life because it’s a life-long disease. I don’t think there’s going to be a day when I don’t think about food or my body, but I’m living with it, and I wish I could tell young girls to find their safe place and stay with it.”
“I don’t let anyone’s insecurities, emotions, or opinions bother me. I know that if I am happy, that’s all that matters to me. And it’s okay to be selfish like that sometimes, when it comes to your well-being. Do what makes you happy, and don’t care what others think.”
What do you all think about Demi’s message?
What is her eating disorder?
She use to have bulimia I think..
I’m so glad that she has gained weight.. She was so skinny before…
I never thought of Demy as a skinny girl … I always saw her in something between curvy and skinny, she was a regular and normal girl for her age, I mean she is 18, her body is still changing
The one that I do think is really really skinny is Selena Gomez! But Demi, she is fine, and if she had an eating disorder, well… in the pictures I never noticed it … but I’m glad she is doing well now, and that she is able to talk about it, because the only way to overcome a problem is to face it and to admit it! once you admit you have a problem and that you need help, then it’s just a matter of time and selfcontrol to get better!
People don’t realize that to change their body they need to change their mind, and once you make peace with yourself you’ll have a great and happy life, and you’ll see things changing positively!
“Demi, she is fine, and if she had an eating disorder, well… in the pictures I never noticed it”
Well that’s the thing about eating disorders. You can’t tell from looking at pictures. Bulimia is one of the easiest disorders to hide. Most people with it are either average weight or overweight. It’s a serious misconception that you have to be emaciated to have an eating disorder.
I already know what you are saying, I mean my dad is a doctor, a pediatrician so I know a lot about this things, you won’t want to hear the things I hear all the time, I just said that if she had an eating disorder I never noticed it, because to me she always looked healthy and really good, I always found her very normal and I respect her, because she wasn’t the regular skinny blonde girl from hollywood! and now I respect her even more, because she had a problem and she talked about it, she didn’t deny it like most of women in the acting business do
bulimic girls are very often normal-weight girls. bulimia is a terrible illness and can be difficult to detect, compared to anorexia, because bulimics tend to be of average or slightly above or below average weight. Many bulimics may also engage in significantly disordered eating and exercising patterns without meeting the full diagnostic criteria for bulimia. this disease can kill more than anorexia.
Also, bulimics often gain weight because of the binging and they don’t realize it’s almost impossible to completely purge the entirety of what one ate.
She wasn’t super skinny at all! she looked average, like a size 4 jeans.
She was super skinny for a while. THere weren’t many photos of it, but I saw one in which all you could see were hipbones. It probably was just a matter of several months, but she would go up and down a lot.
it’s very rare to have one specific eating disorder (anorexia/bulimia/BED)
most have symptoms of all of them
i think that she oficially rocks and is a total inspiration to me. i`m very insecure about my weight, so i can really relate to what she`s saying. i remember, that when i was 16, i just tortured myself – i thought that i was so fat (about 136-140 lbs at 5`11), wouldn`t allow myself to eat more than 300 kcal, was unhappy, was obsessed with loosing weight, grumpy all the time, hid it from my friends and family, i was pretty much all over the place. though i`m MUCH better now, i still have a lot of insecurities and people like her just help.
136-140 lbs at 5’11 is NOT fat. Were you okay? My friend at 5’8.5 is 130-132 and she is very slim.
well, since i thought that it was fat, i apparently wasn`t okay. :/ i think that somehow the fact that i chopped off my hair made me think that i looked even fatter, cause, dunno, i couldn`t hide behind my long golden locks anymore? i dunno, smth of the kind. i`m now 140something lbs (don`t really know my exact weight) and the only way i control myself is by measuring myself – if i`m bigger than my usual 37-24-39, i`ll stop munching on the sweets and other stuff.
Those are amazing proportions! :]
Lily I am glad you’ve found a way to get better and accept yourself. I wanted to add how smart it is to disregard weight a follow measurements! I am always trying to tell that if they gain weight it could be muscle and if they loose weight it could be muscle. Because the fact is muscle weighs more then fat. Congrats hun
I applaud her honesty, that is a really hard thing to admit, even to just your close friends and family. I think shes sending out a good message.
I agree. It’s hard to even tell those close to you about self-harm of any sort – to tell the world is very brave indeed! I don’t really know anything about her, but she seems like an admirable young woman.
Agree completely! Especially when, from what she’s said before, you’ve been told by every other kid you were fat. In her case, probably because they were mostly jealous and looking for anything to nitpick about her. It seems she’s getting over her pride by saying this (as in admitting she was affected by those nasty comments).
Never been a real fan of her but she’s truly an amazing girl, inside and outside!
“But I will deal with it for the rest of my life because it’s a life-long disease.”
I’m glad someone finally said it. You don’t just get better from an ED like some celebrities make it out to be. It’s not a ‘phase’; it’s a daily and life-long struggle. You never fully “recover”, those negative thoughts will still be there they just aren’t as strong, they don’t control you anymore. It’s so easy to relapse and the temptation is always there but recovery is about accepting yourself and realizing your health and happiness are worth more than the way you look.
word. i overcame an eating disorder only to then lapse into binge eating. i overcame anorexia, but then went straight to being overweight and developed high cholestorol along with a whole other host of issues.
it’s a daily struggle unfortunately
It’s a daily struggle, if u cant let go of it. In some cases (like yours) people stick to the negative thoughts, but what’s the point of holding on to something that makes you feel bad?
To recover, you must renew your relationship with food and your body, one that doesn’t make you feel bad about yourself or what you’re eating.
Yes most people don’t realize its not a state of mind but a condition of the mind a permanent mental disorder.
Wow, she’s brave. It took me a year to tell my dad abotu my eating habits but only 6months to tell my mum that I lost my period and when shedragged me to the doctor to get the disorder checked out, my anorexia turned into the binge/starve cycle. I gained a lot of weight after that and now I’m on the dieting path again. It’s something sooo hard to get out of… The internet is my only friend when it comes to food. When I’m older, I’m defo getting a psychiatrist! :/
<3
Thanks Demi for letting me know that I ain’t the only one
Whoa, it’s like you’ve read my diary or something. I literally went through the exact same thing. It’ll get better, trust me.:)
Demi is SO right about everything she said, and it’s amazing that she had the courage to open up like that. I’m glad she found her “safe/happy place”. It’s hard to be confident and motivated enough to not starve/binge/over exercise after you’ve dealt with an eating disorder.(At least for me it is)
It should’ve been hard for her, being constantly compared to Selena and Miley… I always thought she’s the prettiest one, anyway.
I know this is going to sound stupid but I thought I was the only one who’s been through that!! i went from 10stone 8lbs to 7stone 11lbs but couldn’t stop binging and now weigh 10stone 8lbs AGAIN!! I’ve been trying so so very hard to lose the weight but it just won’t shift
And I have been through the same, as well. My weight is almost the same as in the beginning of this whole thing, plus – my mind is all fu*ked up… Soooo wasn’t worth it
And I agree, I have always thought Demi is the cutest. Weird how twisted your own body image can be when you have an ED.
Definately not alone! I was the same, and due to putting my body through crap I would gain heaps of weight. I think Demi sounds very level headed. Also, you can get to a point where you don’t obsess over it. I went from thinking about it 24/7 to not really thinking about it at all. HOWEVER I think you’re always in danger of slipping back…which i am starting to do. But if you get treatment and get through the first bout, and get some coping mechanisms and importantly LEARN TO SPOT THE RELAPSE EARLY, then you can live a happy healthy normal life! It’s definately possible and I think one of the hardest parts is admitting/ recognising there is a problem ;o)
I know what you mean, the only person i’ve ever told how hard it was for me is my boyfriend, and only now that i have recovered. She is indeed brave and an amazing person.
It’s so nice to read all these messages from other people who are living with EDs. I’ve been struggling with bulimia/BED for over a year now and it is insane how it takes over your life.
I keep hating myself for letting something as insignificant as food have become such an obsession, but it runs much deeper than that, and at the core (in my case at any rate) are massive self-esteem issues.
Demi was so so brave to speak out to the world about this, I only just managed to blurt it out to the guy I’ve been dating and that was awkward… lol. Still, I hope it won’t be a life-long disease
My sister had it as well, but she stopped after she got stomach ulcers
I applaud her. Such a beautiful young woman, it makes me sad that she would put herself down.
good for her she’s so brave
i could never admit my eating disorder to anyone and i have had it for over two years
I never really thought much of her, but with these statements she really has done it for me. I myself am dealing with a 5 year eating disorder. I agree with some of the comments that people say that it is rare to only have ONE eating disorder. I have struggled all these years through bulimia and anorexia. Sometimes not eating to avoid the thought of throwing up, and sometimes eating so much and throwing up because my body was on starvation mode after dealing with anorexia. I think she really understands her disorder knowing that it will never really go away. People that have dealt with these disorders well know that the fear of gaining weight, the insecurity of one’s body, will always haunt us. Its like a monster. One can never overcome this, however, we can learn to not let it control our lives.
Wise beyond her years that girl is.
i’m glad that she is getting better because i do like her and think she is very beautiful inside and out. she was real honest about her illness. mental illness is something you can’t get over and it takes years to deal with. i’ve never had an eating disorder but dealt with depression for years and it’s something i still deal with everyday. i hope she gets better and continues to sing and act.
It’s sad, because everyone believed she was living this “Disney Channel” star dream and here comes all the disenchantment. I always thought she was pretty and had a great voice (unlike other Disney stars). I hope everything falls into place for her and she can move on and continue her promising career
she is sending out a positive message and trying to take what she suffered through, is still suffering through, to a positive place and help others, which i think is great. I also think it could really help her. I always found getting outside my own head a good idea when I was in a bad place.
on another note, not to disagree with her but just to add my own little message of hope, as someone who has struggled with mental illness and body issues for nearly 20 years, while it is always there, if you chose to fight it and not let it get you down, you can beat it. I am happy now in a way I once never thought I would be and have been for several years now. Now if I feel those ‘thoughts’ starting I react straight away. I can’t tell you how, because everyone is different, but you can find ways to deal with them, so they pass by without touching you.
I can definitely relate to this. A few yers back I went through a period when I was anorexic. I ended up getting down to 80 pounds at 5’5″. Now, 3 years later, I have gained weight back but have developed a binge eating disorder. It’s true that when you have an eating disorder all you can think about is food. I’ve tried to stop binge eating but every time I try to stop I end up going back to my anorexic tendencies. I would never wish this on anyone. It sucks to lose concentration in school because I’m controleld by thoughts of food. I’m not a fan of Demi, but I wish her all the best because I know what it’s like.
[...] I’ve tried to stop binge eating but every time I try to stop I end up going back to my anorexic tendencies.[...]
I have this too, it’s either all or nothing and the feeling is awful.
I ‘love’ that Demi says that it’s a life long disease. People assume too much that you can just ‘cure’ an ED.
im glad she has gotten help and seems alot more happy and secure these days!
I’m so happy for her. Really.
Yeah it’s a great thing to say but for me I think it will never be possible to look in the mirror and feel good about my body or dont care about other people’s opinion. I dont think I have an eating disorder but i did lost a lot of weight and still think I’m fat. I used to be 130 ibs at 5’8 and now I’m 107 ibs at 5’8, I mean I really dont think this is a heavy weight but I see myself really fatter than that I dont know, I always think that people must think I’m heavier and its really awful, I go to school with baggy jeans and t-shirt so my friends cant see my real shape and I dont wear shorts anymore I just wear dresses . A lot of people come to me and say Im skinny and my family is always trying to make me eat but its weird because i know that but its like my mind ignores that and just remebers bad things like a guy who said my butt was big ( he was saying as a good thing but I felt awful) I feel so bad all the time theres a girl in my class who is supeer skinny like she is just bones and everytime i look at her i ask myself why cant i be like her and just wanna cry I really wanna be 99 ibs, but it seems impossible!! i havent been eating almost anything except for lunch for 2 weeks and didnt lose any weight!!!!!! IM SUCH A LOOSER!!!!!!! I just wanna die seriously, two days ago i tried to vomit for like half an hour and i couldnt it was horrible. I really really dont have any eating disorder, im not sick but its hard i want to be skinny soooooooo bad i would do anything to have a body like candices,i think if she could loose weight why cant i? because my friend says im not loosing anymore because im too skinny but besides this is so not true candice was already super thin and lost weight
Love, you say you don’t have an eating disorder but everything you just posted suggests that you do.
You’ve tried to make yourself sick, you eat one meal a day, and your BMI is 16.3 (i.e. very underweight) yet you still think you’re fat. Your thoughts and attitude towards your body and weightloss are very much typical of someone with an eating disorder.
Please believe me when I say you ARE thin, by anyone’s standards. You’re perfect the way you are, and if anything could gain weight and look even more beautiful. Talk to someone about how you’re feeling – maybe a school counsellor or something. Because you’re heading down a rocky road, girl. Look after yourself!
Victoria sorry, but I’m SHOCKED!!! I do get that you like being skinny(that’s your preferance OK), but looking like Candice these days? Do not get me wrong, I’m just trying to figure out why having ”a big butt” compliment from a guy works that way for you. You obviously do not have a HUGE butt(I mean it in a bad way), so why are feeling bad exactly?? I cannot understand, believe me. Women exercize, put butt implants in order to have a bigger bottom, an when you’re already thin you worry?? I feel the need to repeat ; DO NOT GET ME WRONG.
I’m not trying to insult anybody here at all, but you’re just FINE. If you do not love yourself, NOBODY will. BELIEVE ME. The moment you start to appreciate you, this is when ‘miracles’ happen. NOBODY will do that for yourself, it’s all in you. The beauty and the pain. You choose if you’re gonna start living your life trying to enjoy whatever you can, or if you’re gonna let others to make you feel bad about loving and accepting who you are. I do not have any intention to preach, but this is all I feel when I do see seriously sick people in the street or people who harm themselves with toxic feelings against their own selfs. Not that I’m perfect in NO way, but I swear that I’m trying to make the most out of my life everyday. Maybe not successfully, but I often struggle to do so.
You do have an eating disorder. The sooner you come to terms with that then the sooner you can get help for it.
Victoria, you don’t believe you have an ED but that’s normal among people diagnosed with them and, like Hannah said, everything you wrote points out to it. It must be tought to acknouledge that, though.
Anyway, It can’t be a good thing to have an obsession and feel the way you do, so, WHATEVER it is you have, you don’t seem to be able to help yourself and, therefore, you’d better go for someone else you trust and ask them for help.
Everyone is different, not everyone can get down to Candice’s weight and be healthy or look good (if you ask me, SHE doesn’t look great at her current weight either), and that doesn’t make any of us a loser!
You’ve already tried changing your body with a very restrictive diet and watched it not work. However, you can still try to change your mind, and you don’t have to do that alone, as I said!
It’s either win or win: if you don’t think you have an ED, what’s there to fear? And, considering you do, wouldn’t it be good to have it discovered soon? We all know where it could lead you to, so please don’t ignore this possibility. In the end, you invariably get the chance of accepting yourself better than you do now, how is that not a relief? And you’ll see how many compliments you’ll get when you’re looking your best and, most important, feel confident (I can relate)!
There are several girls here in this website who are recovering from EDs, and you can only do that if you have the will to change. I’m sure they’ve found plenty of reasons for that.
Take care!
*tough, acknowledge… And there must be worse mistakes I can’t detect. xD
You’re skinny by EVERYONE’S standards, even the fashion industry’s. I understand body image can be a bitch, but please try to understand that you’re already at an extremely low weight. I know it seems impossible, but you really have to come to terms with yourself and realize that what you see is not what everyone else sees. Please don’t destroy your body. I’m sure you’re beautiful – don’t ruin that.
Victoria,
I thought the same way that you did. “Oh, they just want me to be fat. I’m not good enough, I’m too fat, nobody knows what my body is really like.” But when I started feeling cold and tired all the time, and thinking that going from one end of the room to another was going to kill me, I knew I had to cut that shit out. That’s oversimplifying it, but you know what I mean.
You don’t want to die. Trust, when you’re faced with the real possibility of death, you’re going to take that wish back.
Please try to get help before you reach the point where you might not have that choice. Having ‘bones everywhere’ will not make you prettier, happier, smarter, friendlier. It’ll make you sicker, sadder, and scared.If you end up in the hospital, god forbid, it’s still not going to matter. Nobody’s going to be like, oh,sweet, hipbones! We’ll take care of you first!
You don’t know what goes on in Candice’s life. She might be fine. She might be feeling like I did, with no energy and scared all the time. It’s no way to live, and I wouldn’t want that for you.
omg, i didn’t think anyone would even look at my comment, I just wanted to say how i feel about myself because i’m really embarrassed to talk about it with my friends or family. Well, you are truly amazing for worring about a girl you don’t even know, really, thanks, but I REALLY don’t have an eating disorder, I know it sounds VERY crazy and irracional but I wish I had, because this way I would be skinny. Dont judge me, PLEASE I know its a terrible and stupid thing to say, I’m just tired of hating how I look
THANKS again, you are wonderful!!
Oh Victoria, whether you have an eating disorder or not, this thing you call “hating how I look” means you have at least self-steem problem and you have to talk about it with someone, please. And I know all of us saying all this things to you might sound like we’re judging you or something, but trust me darling, we’re just trying to help you and support you!
, then why wouldnt you love yourself?
You must know there are many many people that love you just the way you are: you family, your friends, all of us talking to you
You’re sticking only with what mirror shows you and you’re forgetting about whats inside of you.How can you reach happiness? Do you really think this is the way?
I really really want you to be ok darling! I don’t know you but I feel like I need to say something to you cause you seem so sad and frustrated… I really want to help you.
PLEASE let others help you. Even with a conversation or an advice.
Take care Victoria! ♥
Sounds to me like you need to stop giving a f*ck what other people think. Who cares about what some douchy guy says to you or some girl in your class? You shouldn’t give a crap, people suck. Just worry about yourself and doing well in school, go to college.
God I can relate to so many of the comments here! I used to be close to anorexic and then my family started force feeding me and I gained 10 pounds. Now I have Binge Eating Disorder…. I have gained 15 pounds and spend most of my time obsessing about food. I binge and then spend 3 or more exercising everyday! I exercise 3 hours at school and then come home and workout for an hour more. I used to get straight A’s at university and now am stuck with getting B’s and C’s… I would give up anything in the world just to be normal!
Hey Wanda,
I get what you’re going through. My grades dropped as soon as I became obsessed with food and got into the binge-eating cycle. I lost focus, couldn’t concentrate on an article for a half hour straight, couldn’t meet my weekly deadlines, and felt so helpless.
It is a vicious circle and you need to break it before you miss out on the beautiful things in your life! Talk to someone about it if you haven’t yet, find a psychologist, there is probably even an eating disorder support group at your university (they’ve even started anonymous support groups like AA meetings). Don’t get trapped in it!
Lots of love.
That sucks, you should focus on doing better at uni so you can get a good job. Trust me it’s hard enough to find a job out of college much less a higher paying one, companies these days look at transcripts and gpa
I’ve never thought much of her, but the manner in which she’s handled her breakdown/rehab/the whole situation has given me a whole new respect for her. Unlike other celebrities, she is not trying to deny or downplay her issues, nor is she using them for pity. She really seems to be genuinely trying to recover, and to help others suffering from similar issues along the way.
I’m happy she’s speaking out about this issue but I can’t call her a role model after she punched a dancer in the face.
Hey, I punched someone in the face once too.
Everyone loses their cool sometimes, it doesn’t make you a bad person.
Yeah, everyone loses their cool sometimes, but I’d say 99.9% of people don’t punch others in the face when they do. Of course you’re not a bad person, but you really shouldn’t excuse violent assault by saying “oh everyone loses their cool”. Violence is really not acceptable.
I know violence is not acceptable.
I’m actually a very peaceful person, I’ve only hit someone once in my entire life ..
I’m just saying that she punched someone once and we don’t know what really went down, so I don’t think it’s fair for someone to say she’s not a good rolemodel based solely on one incident. I think she’s a better rolemodel than most of the other celebs out there.
Yeah, she is a better role model than other celebrities, but that isn’t necessarily saying much. There are also way better role models out there who have never punched anyone in the face. And there’s also way better role models out there than celebrties…I’ve never really understood why people idolise celebrities and respect them so much. Most of them haven’t done anything that justifies that.
true but maybe the dancer deserved it…or self defense? The media story is skewered almost always keep in mind
I think what she said is very frank and truthful-lovely message
The last things she said are truly inspiring and I agree. We should all try to do this in our lifes!
I think the problem faced by this disney girls is they pick them with those awkward thin not really developed teenager bodies, and then they start to develop and are worried it’ll ruin their career. It’s so sad, but i’m glad to see she’s getting better. Mental health is such an important part of life- more important than most things, actually.
i kinda have to disagree. Britney and Xtina both got boob implants, V-hudgens keeps putting naked pics (accidentally) out there, and miley – yikes! if anything they are in a hurry to grow up too fast.
The problem is they are putting children in the limelight and opening them up to all the ugly realities of the world, with no protection, experience or loving guidance. from a very young age their self worth has been determined by how well they sell.
I completely agree with her statements. I’m glad someone finally said it…….it is NOT something you just “get over” one day. I was anorexic from about age 15-19. I got down to 83 lbs at 5’7 and literally almost died. It was a very tough time, but then when I began to get help and started eating, I ballooned up, gaining 100 lbs. I am now 22, healthy at 130 lbs, run every day and eat very healthily and normally, but there is not a day that I don’t think about my weight or what I’m eating. I am still a bit obsessive and there are still days when I resort to my old ways, but it is all about taking each day at a time and trying to be healthy that day. I know I will struggle with this problem for the rest of my life, and I’m glad to see that she realizes that she will as well. I think she has a healthy mentality and will do great if she sets her mind on taking care of herself.
So great to hear you’ve found the right balance Bridget Marie
And like you said, all you can do is take it one day at a time!
I never really noticed she had an eating disorder tbh, she was skinny but she didn’t look sickly skinny, not like the girls in the first season of 90210 or whatever.
I admire her courage, honesty, and healthy attitude. She really has a down-to-earth, no-BS approach to this which I appreciate.
That’s probably because you never really get thin from bulimia, at least in my experience. I struggled with various e.ds, mainly bulimia, from 12-19 and never weighed less than 115 at 5 3/ 5 5. I didn’t get skinny–i got cavities! Haha. Its true that it is a struggle, but people can cope and move forward when they pull strength from themselves :] its good that she’s an inspiration to so many young people.
This was supposed to be an independent comment not attached to your post. I’m sorry!
No worries
I feel so bad for her having to deal with her insecurities in the public eye. I could never.
I’m also really glad that she mentioned the whole “it will be with me for my whole life” thing, because it honestly is. I personally went through anorexia, and then had exercise bulimia, where instead of throwing up I would purge by working out for hours… I’ve been seeing a therapist and dietitian, but it’s still such a hard thing to deal with.
I have confidence now, for me it was just a matter of perfection. And a lot of times I would get stressed and just become obsessive with food/exercise because it was something I had complete control over.
I have to give her respect for talking about this openly, because only my immediate family and my boyfriend know about my issues.
Same here, I used to eat close to nothing, I’m 5.2ft and I weighed 98 pounds and I thought I looked fantastic. I’m around 115 pounds now and unfortunatly the 98 is still my perfect goal weight… I’m just not prepared to go through the same torture again…
I can completely relate to you; I suffered for years, recovered, relapsed, recovered, relapsed, yet it was never worth it in the end. Finally I realized that I was addicted to torturing myself, to being sick. And once I realized that, once I admitted that to myself: only then could I finally go into recovery once and for all.
pretty much in the same boat as you im 5ft and used to weigh 90. but iv been stuck in this stupid ED cycle for 10 years which is unbelievable and sad because i can look back at all the things i havn’t done in the past 10 years all because my life has revolved around food and diet. It really is torture. Only now have i learnt to keep myself at a stable weight that doesnt attract attention or concern from family or my partner but my husband to be knows all too well how food truly does still rule my life. its a disease i wish i could recover from and im glad to see people like demi opening up about it.
Demi is a pretty girl. Prettiest one from Disney since Hilary Duff. Hope she’s doing well.
I feel for these Disney kids I really do, in fact I feel for all child entertainers exposed to that amount of publicity and fame having witnessed so many casualties over the years. The drug addictions, the eating disorders the alcoholics. When’s it gonna end? Celebrity/Fame is hard enough on adults without that pressure being put on kids and adolescents. I wish her all the best.
First of all, an eating disorder is not always visible. Just because someone is skinny, does not imply that she/he has an eating disorder, or if someone is of “normal” weight or overweight also does not mean she/he doesn’t have an ED. My personal (i repeat PERSONAL) opinion of an ED is when someone cannot enjoy life simply because her/his whole world revolves around food, exercise, calories etc. If every thought, emotion or act is about body issues etc, I do believe that person needs help. Not everyone gets a full blown ED, but i do think that people who obsess to any extent over their body have issues (ex: Giuliana Rancic). We aspire to become über thin models, or washboard stomach SI models, so of course our every last ounce of energy goes into fulfilling these demands. I know a young woman who gets up at 5am to run 6km and at 10pm does 2 hours of kickbox/cardio. She looks great, but her husband left her saying “she’s nuts, all she ever talks about is her stupid exercise and green salads” (his words not mine:)) Of course, that’s just one example. She’s not crazy thin nor above “normal”, she really looks great. But in her head she’s not healthy. I”m so happy that Demi is back on track! She really is a doll… Very beautiful and wise!
This is really insightful, kudos Suleika.
This is really well put Suleika
That makes a lot of sense. I’d never really thought of it, but you’re right. While some people end up pursuing healthy habits (wether their goal is good physical health or good looks or whatever), they can’t be mentally sane, for every obsession is unhealthy.
I wish this message had been out there for me when I was deep in the struggle.
Keep it up, Demi. Best wishes. You are smart and beautiful, and you can do this <3
hannah beth,
Just a note to let you know that you are beautiful. Your photo is simply lovely and I hope you’re healthy AND beautiful. I think it’s important to tell people that they’re lovely when they are, and they got there healthily. From your comment, it sounds like you did. Sort of a random comment, I know, but think it’s important to say anyway.
This made me tear up a little. Thank you so much. It’s impressive how much reaching out, just a little, can do. You are such a lovely being, and I hope you are happy and healthy as well.
I feel compelled to say that I am really shocked at some of the lack of intellect in some of the comments here. I cannot believe that some people think to have an eating disorder, you have to look extremely sick, skeletal, waif thin. That is NOT true.
“She never really looked that skinny…” , “I thought she was between curvy and skinny” – I think there is a lack of knowledge about eating disorders and that weight is only one sign of an eating disorder, if at all. Read this website and go educate yourself please.
http://www.something-fishy.org/isf/misconceptions.php
This poor girl obviously went through hell whilst she was battling her eating disorder and was in the spotlight. An eating disorder is far more than just being defined by weight. People with eating disorders endure dehydration, malnutrition, kidney failure, arthritis, liver failure, depression, seizures, and more.
It is very disrespectful to those who have endured such an awful thing, to say that she looked “normal” and therefore could not have had an eating disorder.
I’m not trying to bite anyones head off here, I’m just speaking from experience. I had an eating disorder for years, weight plummeting dangerously low, to a “normal” weight for my height, so sometimes you could not tell from my weight. But I now have a heart disease that I will have for the rest of my life because of the eating disorder that took so many years of my health.
Please have some consideration for those who suffered and educate yourself before you begin to type. Thank you.
big thumbs up to this comment.
It truly annoys me when people comment such things.
It is a sign of our culture though, it has become the norm to scrutinise food, diet, exercise, body shape to such a harsh extent.
Girls can quite easily deny they have an eating disorder or have a warped body image which could later develop into a deathly disorder because there is so little information or articles in magazines etc that discuss the matter.Every article iv ever read about anorexia/bulimia in fashion/gossip magazines concentrates on the extreme, the girls that look skeletal. Its sad that girls can abuse their bodies so secretly and people will look at them and still say oh well they arent that thin there can’t be a problem.
wouldnt want a kick off that!
That’s very courageous of her and I’m sure it will warm the hearts of other girls who will relate to what she’s saying. I can’t imagine how hard it is to “overcome” an eating disorder, it must be a relief to know that a healthy-looking and successful starlet shares your pain with such an optimistical view.
It sounds like she was suffering more of depression/being suicidal than having an eating disorder.
“or who has harmed herself in any way, that she’s worthy of life and that her life has meaning. “
Some people harm themselves through starvation. It hurts as bad as, if not worse than, cutting yourself. I do think your comment has merit, though. She obviously had to struggle with the depression as well, and that can be a HUGE burden.
People do not always have to look sickly to suffer from ean eating disorder. I am 5’4 and had an eating disorder in college .I usually weight 125-130 lbs. I got down to 105-110 lbs. To most people just walking down the street who saw me, I probably looked slim, yet still healthy. To my close friends and relatives i looked washed out and gaunt. I was starving myself to maintain this weight and not healthy, so everyone is different.
To me, it sounds just like a publicity stunt. I know I sound crual and harsh, but that’s that. Seriously, when you have real eating issues, you don’t go and put them out there. That’s ridiculous, most of the time, you don’t even want to admit you have issues. I find it way too easy for her to say she has one.
Plus, she doesn’t strike me as the kind of girl with an eating disorder. She’s chubby, let’s say the truth.
I know what an eating disorder is, and that’s not what she says it is. When you only drink coffee and water as your daily meal, that’s tough.
She looks perfectly fine to me. She’s never been skinny and I don’t think she’ll ever be, it’s just not in her DNA. But I gotta admit, she’s a pretty girl and I loove her little sister in DH.
Demi is a talented singer, probably the best live singer Disney ever had, but I think she’s having a hard time finding her own identity when Disney is trying to shape her into this goodie-goodie Selena Gomez wannabee.
I do believe everyone has a right to his or her opinion, and you can interpret things however you choose. But please be a little more careful and sensitive next time you criticize someone who is in the process of recovery and is trying to be honest about her disease in order to over power it.
There is no “kind of girl” with an ED. And your comment is very discouraging to girls who are so sick of wanting to be empty and dead, and feel it’s finally time to come forward and share their stories. I know many bulimics, binge eaters, and even girls who have alternating cycles of severe anorexia who are, as you say, “chubby.”
You don’t know what her daily meals have been. Eating so little and working as hard as she does is “tough” too. Everything that is unhealthy and depresses you is “tough.”
It’s nice that you ended your comment with a compliment, but please don’t belittle the courage it takes to come to terms with your disease.
Look, I don’t want to get hostile with you but this comment is seriously twisted. You don’t get to define other peoples’ experiences based on some abitrary notion of how someone ‘should’ behave if they have an ED. People with EDs are not a monolith, each person deals with it differently and if she says she struggled (and still does) with one, that mere statement is not a reason to doubt her.
I’ve had an ED for over 10 years. But I guess because I’m talking about it then it must not be true. Plus, I have been chubby during my time struggling (and I’ve also been seriously underweight and normal weight and all over the spectrum) so by your standards I guess that’s a double whammy of ‘fakerisms.’ Sorry, I’m being quite rough with my language, I’m just quite taken aback by the myths your comment promotes about EDs. The idea that talking about an ED or being chubby means you don’t have one is seriously, seriously harmful.
And the coffee and water comment… I take it that you’re trying to imply this is what is required for a ‘real’ ED and further, this is what you’ve suffered? I’m really sorry to hear you’ve struggled so bad, but just because you only had coffee and water as your daily meal doesn’t make you qualified to judge other people’s ED experiences. To be honest, it sounds like you’re still in a sick headspace, trying to compete with ‘who can be the sickest and have the most serious ED.’ I don’t know if that’s actually the case, but that’s how it comes across.
I’m glad to hear you think she’s a talented singer though. I totally agree.
the sad thing is, eating disorders in particular anorexia are an awful disease but unfortunately competetive to an extent too. here is a good example of one person with an eating disorder wanting to almost ‘show off’ about the fact that they had a worse disorder or were ‘better’ at it. it’s seriously messed up but that’s how it is. i know first hand and it’s horrible
What an ignorant comment. It left me speechless, literally.
‘I know what an eating disorder is, and that’s not what she says it is. When you only drink coffee and water as your daily meal, that’s tough’ – what the heck??? throwing up after meals is WHAT according to you?
So what that she has never been skinny. geeeee, you don’t have to be stick thin to have an ED. You think anorexia is the only ED in the world? Jesus christ, just think (!) before you write something and please, at least google something about ED or check out wikipedia if you wanna speak about such serious matter.
Sorry, girl, but you obviously know nothing (or very very little) about this. I ‘love’ opinions like yours. You think you know best, but you know nothing…
Damn, your comment really made my blood boil.
what a insensitive and uneducated comment. you may well have suffered with a really severe eating disorder. but are you saying that some one who starves themselves by eating a small amount of calories every day does not qualify as having an eating disorder????
Seriously eating disorders come in all forms and i’m going to guess that Demi is actually speaking of bulimia and depression. An eating dosorder can be someone who unhealthily and quickly loses a large amount of weigh, someone who compulsively exercises, someone who binges and purges, someone who starves (to be clear extreme starvation is classed as 800 or under) All of these forms can be extremely dangerous to health mentally and physically! mentally is probably the worst because it is less obvious and the reason many people believe only someone who is underweight is ill. I myself have been hospitalised many times unfortunately, when i had a bmi of about 18 however i was not at all well through dehydration and messed up electrolytes.
Please please be more thoughtful. some poor girl may read your comment and believe she is not a good enough anoretic because she does not live off water and coffee.
You are so ignorant. You think somebody can’t have an eating disorder if they aren’t emaciated?
I’m sure you only ever had coffee and water. You would have dropped dead if that went on longer than a couple weeks at most. So obviously if you really knew what an eating disorder is then you would know that anorexics do actually eat and that bulimics are usually a normal weight. You are spouting the oldest, most stereotypical misconceptions about eating disorders.
Saying lies like that can be very harmful to people with eating disorders. Think before you speak.
Beautiful gal. Best of luck to you, thank you for being such a wonderful role model.
Her attitude of this being a “life long disease” is the scary part here and probably something she’s been fed in treatment. Recovery is not only possible but I personally believe an eating disorder isn’t something that needs to follow you around for the rest of your life. You can learn to make peace with your food and reach a place of allowing and acceptance. As long as she resists, her point of view on food will not change.
That being said, I’m glad she got help when she needed it. Hopefully her recovery won’t be as difficult as she thinks.
I dont think shes resisting, I think she’s trying to be honest with herself and realize the temptation of getting back to her old habits might never go away completely. I mean, she has to considerate all the ways this disease could take.
I think it’s not being negative or resisting, because part of admitting you have a problem and then finding the way you’re gonna fight is having a full vision, and knowing it’ll take all of your effort and u gotta have as much support as you can.
This hit close to home. I had to start telling myself the same things, and more importantly, I had to believe them. Whenever I see girls who come to this realization in time, it makes me really happy, because I know what it’s like to feel like you’re going to die. Up until a few months ago, I had my funeral planned out because I was sure I was going to drop. The only thing I didn’t do was draw up a will.
I think that it is something you’re going to fight daily in the beginning. Ten years down the line, maybe not, but right now, it really is a case of one day at a time. I hope she has a strong support system to help her through this.
omg all these comments let me know that there are so many more people that are having the same problem as me. 4 years ago i was 5 ft 6 and weighed 82 pounds. i had depression and aneroxia. i only ate fruits everyday. after a few months i got better and weighed about 103 pounds. i thought i was so fat and started to diet again. but not as bad as before.my weight got down to 97 pounds. and since then i started to binge eat. after bingeing i felt so guilty and upset so i tried puking. this binge-starve cycle last until now.i am currently 90 pounds. i really hope that someday somehow i will go back to being normal. i dont want to be so obsessed about food and diet. i really want to be happy.i ‘ve never tell anyone about this and sometimes its really killing me.
Bee, you are not on your own. I’ve been through all this, too. and I still believe it simply HAS to get better one day. Everything ends and I believe only in happy endings
Stay strong
I’m glad she spoke out about this
I’m so proud of her. Last cycle of ANTM she opened up about having to go through bullying and now this. I thought I was the only one who has to look at food and body image and everything differently. Man, I told like 4 people about my “past” ED and it took a lot of guts! She rocks.
“The mirror can lie, doesn’t show you what’s inside. It can tell you you’re full of life, it’s amazing what you can hide just by putting on a smile”.- Demi Lovato
Girls and women who have suffered and suffer this problem: YOU ARE BRAVE AND BEAUTIFUL!!
Never ever give up!
Stay strong, you’re gonna conquer!
I love her so much <3 I've been bulimic for a long time and I started noticing Demi was saying a lot of things on her Twitter that I felt in real life, and I started wondering if she had an eating disorder (this was right before she went to rehab). To hear her admit all of these things out loud make me admire her even more than I already did. It makes me happy to hear such a young star talking about her disease so openly. It gives me inspiration to do the same.
i thought the same about her tweets and I noticed in the pictures she looked kinda tired and not so smiley like before
Im so glad she gave this step to take care of herself!
[...] to 18 year-old Demi’s touching story on her eating disorder – see the highly liked post here! Today, Demi is back with more information about the reasons that caused her ed problems (via [...]
I’m not sure what to take of all this. I’m so happy she got better, she didn’t look “fat” ever she looked perfect! I think everyone deserves to be a ble to look in the mirror and think of themselves as pretty. Sometimes it’s more difficult for some people than others but to get to that place where you can talk about it probably took so much courage shes becoming an amazing role-model proving that not everyone has to be perfect. <3