Demi Lovato Talks About Her Eating Disorders

Some rights reserved by Karina YDemi Lovato is a successful American singer, actor, musician and song-writer who is also involved in various charity work. She was born on August 20, 1992 in New Mexico and has marked a place for herself in Hollywood. She became a spokesperson for PACER which is an anti-bullying organization. Behind this successful professional, there is a heart-broken story which centers around eating disorders. Eating disorders are bad eating habits that are caused due to several biological, psychological and cultural factors. There are different types of eating disorders like anorexia nervosa, binge eating, food phobia, bulimia nervosa, etc. When a person suffers from these disorders, they develop abnormal eating habits and also start disliking their body appearances.

Demi Lovato and Her Eating Disorders

Demi Lovato was recently in news as she talked about her eating disorders. She had been suffering from anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa for a long period. Her struggle story is an inspiration for those who have eating disorders. She suffered from anorexia nervosa which makes a person think that they are overweight even when they have normal weight; thus they starve or feel reluctant to take food. She also suffered from bulimia nervosa. It means that a person will take heavy quantity of food throughout the day and try to purge by means of immediate vomiting, using laxative, or doing exercise.

She used to overeat compulsively when she was very young and then almost stopped eating. Once she was quoted saying in an interview that she had a "really unhealthy relationship with food" since she was eight years old. It all happened as kids used to bully her in school. As a result, she used to mutilate her wrists as a way of coping with her emotions since she was 11 years old. Her experience can be summed up when she said, “They called me a whore and told me I was fat and ugly. I shouldn't have listened, but I took it to heart and it hurt. I thought may be I didn't have friends because I was too fat”.  The consequence was that she began to starve and whatever she ate, she used to purge.

Her Struggle

Demi Lovato went to a treatment center in the year 2010. Her inpatient treatment was completed in January 2011. After a long period of struggle, she was able to get rid of her eating habits, become happy and healthy and focus on her career. She says, “My eating disorder will continue to affect me for the rest of my life, but I'm proud to say that I got the help I needed, and am now the happiest and healthiest I have ever been.”

Demi Lovato feels that the signs of eating disorders were evident in her since the time she was a toddler. She believes she "was born with it" and this disorder also runs in her family. She advises all teenage girls who are going through the "dark period" like she did to discuss the matter with their families and closest friends. By doing this that they can overcome all the syndromes and live a normal life.

Alisha Martin is a medical adviser and also a dietician. She loves to share medical and health information through her post.

Comments

[James Dugan]

So many people suffer from eating disorders, and it is one of the most helpless feelings to experience. It is like watching someone disappear and no one says anything, but everyone is thinking the same thing. We as a society have not done enough to promote healthy attitudes about our bodies and I just wish more stories like this will help young and old who struggle with eating disorders come to grasp and seek help. Thanks for the lunch.