Hilary Duff reveals how she coped with ‘horrifying’ eating disorder
Hilary Duff has revealed a “horrifying” eating disorder she said she suffered as a teen star.
Duff landed her first major role when she was 10 years old, in the 1998 movie “Casper Meets Wendy,” and has remained in the spotlight ever since.
In a new interview with Women’s Health Australia, the Disney Channel alum recalled pressure to be skinny because of her career path.
“I am on camera, and actresses are skinny,” Duff recounted. “It was horrifying.”
The 35-year-old said she has grown to love her natural athletic build and feels “proud” of her body, including that it has produced three children.
“[I’m] appreciating my health, doing activities that make me feel strong instead of just bettering the outside of my body. Spending time with people that make me feel good and share similar views on health and body positivity and getting enough sleep and balance in my diet,” she said.
Duff became a teen idol with her breakout role as the titular character in Disney Channel’s cult-classic sitcom “Lizzie McGuire,” which ran from 2001 to 2004.
Years ago, the star revealed she battled an eating disorder as the show ended, weighing a measly 98 pounds when she was 17 years old. Duff, who stands at 5 feet, 2 inches tall, admitted she was “totally obsessed” with food and “way too skinny.”
“My body wasn’t that healthy — my hands would cramp up a lot because I wasn’t getting the nutrition I needed.”
A 2019 study published in JAMA Network Open found one in seven men and one in five women experiences an eating disorder by the age of 40, with 95% of those cases beginning before age 25.
And the issue doesn’t seem to be getting better. Eating disorders have reportedly been on the rise in recent years, particularly among teen girls, studies show.
Duff shared that as a teen she felt the “constant pressure of wanting something different” than her natural, healthy shape, but regrets that toxic mindset these days. “I feel like there was way too much time spent thinking about that,” Duff said.
The actress now expresses confidence in her body and even posed nude for the May-June cover of Women’s Health. “I have just gained a lot of respect for my body,” she told the magazine.
“It’s taken me all the places I need to go. It’s helped me build a beautiful family. I feel like the older I get, the more confident I get in my own skin … I’m really just fascinated by one: being a woman. And two: all the changes that your body can go through throughout your lifetime.”
If you or someone you love is struggling with an eating disorder, you can get help. Call the National Eating Disorder Association helpline at (800) 931-2237 or visit nationaleatingdisorders.org.
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