If you or someone you know has been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, help is always available. Call The Butterfly Foundation’s national helpline on 1800 33 4673 or visit their website
Emily Seebohm is the latest in a string of Australian stars to open up about her experiences living with an eating disorder.
Speaking candidly on I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!, the Olympian revealed that her position as an elite athlete made it difficult for her to seek help.
“I was diagnosed with anorexia and bulimia… it’s not something that I’m really proud of. It took a really big toll on me,” she told her fellow contestants.
“At points it got so bad that, I’d cry going to training because I didn’t want to put my togs on in front of people.”
Emily poses with her I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! co-star Davina Rankin.
(Image: Instagram)She revealed that being weighed during training and told to “eat less” had a massive impact on her as she dealt with the illnesses over a period of two years.
Emily added: “I tried to reach out to people and ask for help. But it’s really hard when you’re an athlete because you don’t want to show weakness.”
Sadly, the 29-year-old isn’t alone in her struggle, nor are the illnesses she experienced the only kinds of eating disorders that affect Aussies.
An estimated one million Aussies battle eating disorders like anorexia, bulimia and binge eating disorder every year, and nine per cent of Aussies will experience an eating disorder in their lifetime.
“There’s a common misconception in Australia and around the world that eating disorders have a specific look,” Melissa Wilton, Head of Communications & Engagement at the Butterfly Foundation tells Now To Love.
“But the reality is eating disorders don’t discriminate – they can affect people of any gender, age, ethnicity, sexual orientation or body shape.”
That’s why Emily – and a number of other Aussie stars – are using their voices to spread awareness and push for more support for the one million of us living with eating disorders.
From sharing their stories of recovery, to destigmatising the conversation around eating disorders, they’re taking steps to end the silence around these illnesses.
“Awareness and open conversations are critical in breaking this stigma and demonstrating that there are many types of eating disorders and disordered eating behaviour,” Melissa adds.
“High profile Australians with lived experience who can use their platform and influence to drive open conversations will only help to breakdown stereotypes that exist in the community and hopefully encourage help-seeking.”
In the spirit of ending the stigma around seeking help for eating disorders, we’ve rounded up some of the inspiring messages from stars who have lived experience.
Emily Seebohm
The Olympic medallist revealed her experience with anorexia and bulimia at the start of 2021, writing on Instagram that she had been battling harmful thought and behaviours around food and exercise for two years. “I have judged my body every time I have been in front of a mirror. I’ve been told that the only way I can swim faster is by losing weight and I have believed it,” she confessed.
But the star swimmer vowed to “be braver” for herself and give her body the love it deserves, adding that she hoped being honest about her experiences could “help someone who could be feeling the same.” Emily also got a butterfly tattoo as a tribute to the Butterfly Foundation, then in 2022 she chose endED as her charity while appearing on I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! in the hopes of winning $100,000 to fund support for people dealing with eating disorders.
Lynne McGranger
Home And Away icon Lynne opened up about her past with eating disorders in her memoir, Acting Up: Me, Myself and Irene. In the book she confessed to experiencing a form of bulimia from ages 15 to 28, recalling that “there was no name for it back then.”
Having since recovered, Lynne revealed that she often felt pressured to look a certain way in the early days of her acting career and that pressure had a terrible affect on her. Fortunately, the Aussie star says that pressure has lessened somewhat over the years.
Angie Kent
The former Bachelorette and Gogglebox star spoke out about the painful affect eating disorders can have on a person’s life after experiencing a “terrible” one herself. She addressed misconceptions about the illness, she said on her season of I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here!: “People think you’re doing it for attention or, they think you can snap out of it. But it’s like an addiction.”
In a later interview with Now to Love, the young star explained she felt it was so important to speak openly about eating disorders so that people aren’t “frightened” to seek help. “Don’t hide if you’re struggling, because I guarantee that the person next to you is struggling just as hard core but they’re frightened to talk,” she said.
WATCH: Angie shares her story in the video below…
Angie Kent Opens Up About Her Past Eating Disorder
Tegan Martin
Former Miss Universe Australia Tegan shared an insight into her history with eating disorders in 2017 when she told OK! Magazine: “I had an eating disorder when I was 19 living in Paris as a model, which stemmed from the agent measuring me weekly. It was torture and I never want to harm my body in that way again.”
She revealed that she was deemed “too fat” for modelling show Australia’s Next Top Model, a blow that knocked her confidence, but had since found a healthier relationship with food and her body. She added: “There is nothing worse than a starved figure.”
Bradley Mclennan
House Rules star Bradley reminded everyone that eating disorders don’t just affect women when he got candid about his own experiences as a teen.
“I started to feel like I wasn’t attractive and that I needed to be taller, skinnier… I stopped eating and got dramatically skinny,” he told TV WEEK in 2020.
“I look back now and realise I wasn’t hurting just myself, but everybody around me, especially my family.” He warned other young men away from restrictive diets and strict body regimes, instead pushing them to focus on the things they like about themselves.
Brittany Hockley
After her run on The Bachelor, Brittany revealed that she “used to be scared of eating anything bad” as a teenager and her restrictive diet got so bad that it eventually landed her in hospital. She penned on Instagram: “I had a seizure one day in front of my sister and woke up in hospital.”
After avoiding “bad” food and lying to her parents about eating, Brittany’s family helped her on the road to recovery and the 34-year-old now has a much more positive and balanced relationship with food, exercise and her own body.
“Hopefully, at least one younger person reads this and changes their thought process towards health, fitness, food and body image,” she added.
Todd King
Todd King
Before he starred on The Bachelorette, Todd dealt with an eating disorder that “became an obsession” as he engaged in dangerous behaviours just to slim down after a break up.
“I was obsessed with playing footy and getting lean,” he told Woman’s Day.
Todd’s family were able to help him recover as a teen, but the reality TV star was honest about how eating disorders can continue to affect people even after they’ve physically recovered.
“I still struggle with body dysmorphia in terms of wanting to stay fit and lean,” he said in 2018.
Isabelle Cornish
Puberty Blues and Nine Perfect Strangers star Isabelle previously told Now To Love how studying health helped her heal after her experiences with bulimia. She explained that, when she was 18, “I did have bulimia for a year and then it went away. I was fine for a couple of years and then it came back in a different form”.
She admits she became “obsessive” about food but eventually began studying food psychology, which became “the catalyst of my healing journey”. Her studies helped her recover and pursue a career in personal training where she can help influence people to have a more positive relationship with food and exercise.
Nadia Stamp
This Married At First Sight bride spoke out about the life-long effects of eating disorders after her on-screen ‘husband’ made cruel comments about her body, proving that no one should comment on someone else’s figure. Nadia revealed to OK! Magazine that she dealt with bulimia from ages 18 to 21, during her time in the modelling industry.
She took a break from modelling to escape the pressure around body image, then took a new approach when she returned, telling OK!: “I had a new agent that wanted me to help mentor younger girls about approaching modelling in a healthier manner.” It worked out for the 42-year-old, who is now fully recovered.
