Jameela Jamil has spoken about her anorexia and how she “destroyed” her body by taking laxatives.
The 38-year-old actress spoke candidly about her struggle with her eating disorder and body dysmorphia during a recent appearance on Kelly Ripa's podcast. Let's talk off camera. While reflecting on his previous eating habits, Jamil confessed that he also used to take “a lot of laxatives” and resorted to any diet he could find to lose weight.
“To be honest, I'm surprised I still have a hole in my ass,” she joked about laxatives. “He is a real soldier. He is a survivor. I took whatever pills, drinks, or diets Oprah recommended. I did it. I took it. You know, any very low-calorie supermodel diet.”
He Good place The star confessed that these medications not only damaged her physical health at the time, but have also impacted her body now.
“I screwed up my kidney, my liver, my digestive system and my heart,” he added. “And more recently, I discovered that it had destroyed my bone density.”
Jamil acknowledged that although she “loves to blame other people” for her eating disorder, she knows she can't do that. She noted that while she could also “blame society” for how it treated herself during her anorexia, she still takes responsibility. She also responded to the societal standards that have been placed on women, while also addressing why she needs to be open about her own past.
“And I feel so sorry for my body for having jeopardized my future so severely for a beauty standard and for trying to fit in with other people,” she continued. “And that's why I'm so upset, publicly, about eating disorders and dieting. Because there is a lot of talk about the dangers of having a larger body and almost no talk about the dangers of not eating enough, just eating too much.”
He went on to emphasize that it's “really dangerous” when people don't talk about their health, specifically when they don't eat enough.
“We have no idea how it screws up people's fertility, how it screws up their long-term health,” Jamil added, referring to how an eating disorder can affect physical health. “We just don't talk about it and it's an uncomfortable truth that the diet industry squashes.”
The actress then shared the message she wants to convey about eating disorders and concluded: “That's why I want to be someone who reminds people to eat. Don’t eat for your waistline now, eat for your longevity later.”
This is not the first time Jamil has spoken openly about his body dysmorphia. In 2019, she took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to recall how her feelings about her appearance made her want to skip a star-studded event.
“This was a sad day 10 years ago,” she wrote, alongside a photo of herself at a party hosted by Burberry in 2009. “I didn't want to go to the event because I was convinced I was 'too fat.' and that the next day they would publicly shame me.”
“I only managed to stay 10 minutes,” Jamil continued. “Eating disorders and dysmorphia are very wild. “I missed my adolescence and my 20s.”
For anyone struggling with the issues raised in this article, the eating disorder charity DefeatThe NCFED Helpline is available 365 days a year on 0808 801 0677. NCFED offers information, resources and advice for those suffering from eating disorders, as well as their support networks. Visit Eating-disorders.org.uk or call 0845 838 2040
