Login

Lindsay Lohan: Bulimia Exposed

Lindsay Lohan in Vanity Fair

"I was sick. Everyone was scared. And I was scared too. I had people sit me down and say, 'You're going to die if you don't take care of yourself.'"
The February issue of Vanity Fair is quoting actress Lindsay Lohan. She's talking about the confrontation and exposure of her eating disorder - bulimia.

Back in June I wondered "One can only imagine the internal mental strife that goes on within actresses such as Lindsay Lohan - who can turn into a waif in a matter of months." Now I have a fair idea.

Mia the Thief
Bulimia (or "mia" as some refer to it) is a deceptive beast. All the denial, all the secrets, all the shame, all the blame. "I've been exercising too hard", "...just losing puppy fat", "I just haven't been eating properly". The sad truth is - many young women who become so desperately thin - have become entangled with an eating disorder.

Bulimia is like a private 'survival kit'. All the angst, all the stress, - it all gets poured into the next binge-and-purge.

The only trouble is....

  • the fainting spells (electrolyte imbalance)
  • cramping joints and muscles (very low potassium)
  • irregular heartbeat (very low potassium)
  • the tormenting mood swings and bouts of depression...

It all starts one day - with one episode. That first time in a fit of rage - the food is vomited out - with all the pain and the shame. From then on, Bulimia will want to get its claws in - and never let go - until it has stolen some of your life away. It may destroy your relationships too, or even put you in a hospital bed... or a coffin.

Don't Copy Them
Don't try to emulate the Hollywood divas. Since when does money and fame buy you health and peace of mind and peace of spirit?

Lindsay Lohan - I wish you well in your journey to evict bulimia from your body and from your life.

NOTE: For eating disorder support - see Something Fishy - or a (very personal) story at Living on Empty.

UPDATE (12th January): Ms Lohan claims the Vanity Fair article was untrue, and that her words were misused and misconstrued (via TeenPeople). Who knows what the truth is? Does it matter? What matters is that the advice regarding bulimia remains the same. Eating disorders are thieves - don't give them a chance to get started.

More like this in Body Image and Celebrities
Print
Email Bookmark and Share

67 Comments

ROBERT

my msn:rgolds_ashlee@hotmail.com

i'm bulimic,i'm from monterrey mex ,and i looking 4 friends with anrexia or bulimic.

Reply
JALMA12

HEY YALL I REALLY NEED SOME ADVISE AND ESPECIALLY SOME HELP PLEASE IF YALL KNOW HOW TO STOP BULIMIA on your own PLEASE TELL ME BECAUSE I REALLY WANT TO STOP

Reply
dalia

jalma:
take some time to love urself
learn how to eat properly again
eat ur favorite fast food once a week
keep sweet treats out of the house
focus on this:U R SICK u need to RECOVER ur body needs nutrients and support. Also avoid eating alone coz u won't enjoy it! good luck

Reply
Jan

Jalma12, there is no shame in getting help. You should talk to your parents, or if you feel you can't talk to them, to a doctor (say you have a sore throat, if necessary) or a counselor at school, or an older family member or family friend, like a friend's parent, you feel you can trust if it is difficult to talk to parents, doctor, or school counselor.

Meanwhile, if you want to go to www.something-fishy.org, it helps. You'll feel better by knowing there are others with your problem who recovered, and that you can recover too.

Reply
velma

gurl you really need 2 start eating. you can die with that diet. i suggest you start eating and keep a healthy diet,k?

Reply
alejandra

i am scared becuase i might be anorexic and bulimic
i've been struggling to lose wieght sense 3rd grade
i wiegh 107.2 and im ashamed of my body
every time i eat i can feel my stomach expand
and i can fell the fat roll on my bell

alejandra l.
6th gr.

Reply
alejandra

i am scared becuase i might be anorexic and bulimic
i've been struggling to lose wieght sense 3rd grade
i wiegh 107.2 and im ashamed of my body
every time i eat i can feel my stomach expand
and i can fell the fat roll on my bell

alejandra l.
6th gr.

Reply
Jan

Alejandra, you shouldn't feel ashamed of your body. But I know, easier said than done. I'd like to recommend a site, where you can read helpful stuff for dealing with these feelings: www.something-fishy.org

Reply
Jenn

alejandra...how old are you? 12? 13? you should talk to your parents about this, or someone you trust. do you eat and throw up? or not eat at all? and starting to lose weight and think about it in 3rd grade is a problem too. you are way to young to start with this. please talk to someone older that you feel comfortable with and get help before it's too late.

Reply
Sarah

I think Lindsay Lohan is a very skanky girl to sit there and tell the world that she has a eating disorder knowing that kids look up to her and the world is already to judgemental as it is. She was fat when she got into hollywood why cant she stay like that.. i weigh 330 and i am very happy girl.. I love all sorts of food i think you should just be happy with what god gave you..!! Thanks love ya!!

Reply
Jan

Sarah, you have a distorted view yourself if you think Lindsay Lohan was *ever* fat. She was not fat as a child, and she certainly wasn't fat during "Mean Girls", before the EDs and drug use. She was the picture of health, and I doubt her weight was even in the middle of the Healthy Weight Range, much less "fat".

I hope you can see the media has distorted images so much that what we think is normal is usually underweight, what we think is thin is very underweight, and the people we think are underweight, like Lindsay in her post-drug/ED days, should be happy to be alive cause they are walking skeletons.

Reply
Girl

im worried but feel like i cant talk to anyone.
i go though phases of eating nothing for almost a week, but then other days i'll over eat i'll have a bowl of cereal in the morning and the a large meal when i come home from school
the thing is when i do eat i feel my stomach become full it happend almost instanly i feel disgusted in myself how can i let myself be such a pig. i feel sick right now just thinking about it.
the thing that confuses me the most is that even though i have this problem i am still overwieght i am 14, 5'3 and wiegh 114.
This has been going on for almost 3 years now, i go though large stages of depression and lately things have gotten a lot worse my parents have split up and things havnt been good.

i just need someone to talk to, please help

Reply
Elandra

Lindsay Lohan, I'm a big fan of yours; I've watched you on tv every since I can remember, and you got real talent. Every movie I've seen you in has been a real attention grabber and it keeps one's attention throughout every minute. I've always thought of you as somewhat of a perfectionist, much like myself (at least I try to be. And I've noticed you've been struggling a lot lately; drinking, drugs, eating disorders, and what not. Believe or not, I'm only 15 yrs (I'll be 16 in September) and I been through/dealing with the same shit. I guess there's just something about us perfectionists that problems love. I too have been told I'm gonna die if I keep it up, and even ask why I don't like taking care of myself. So it seems we're a lot alike. But I just wanted to let you know you're not alone. They're people in this world who care alot about you, and wanna see you doing good, including myself; so keep ya head and just try to do what you can.
Much Luv,
Elandra.

Reply
jasmine

Lindsay what happened to you i use to be a big fan it's like you were already small like 2 yrs ago you had hips and everything then because of someones comment you got all small when they started comparing you 2 hillary duff you are in and out of rehab get off the Drugs!!! you look so sick and you talk about yah dad being all ways on the news and stuff in and out of jail well wake up you are turing into him!! put on some more wight gosh you need some real help and i wish i knew you i would help you

Reply
jasmine

and this gos out to all yall girl with the eatting problems and you think you hav 2 be small well you don't!! you r pretty the way you are please don't do this 2 yah self when u r that small you can die and then you will be skinny but dead and then everyone will miss you think of yah family they love you dont do that 2 yah selfs just know someone out there cares about yah pain

Reply
Kayla

Seriously, it is so sad that every girl in this world is so obsessed about their weight and their apperance. I am not trying to be an hyporite because i know i am obsessed about how i look. I just read all of those comments about being bulimic and aneroxic. I was aneroxic for about a year but my friends helped me out a lot so i gained weight. It is so hard for me but i need to understand that i am at the healthy weight for my height. My sister became bulimic but she denies it all the time. I try to get her help but I'm only 17. My parents doesn't believe it. Honestly I blame for this whole thing to the people who forced Models to become extrememly thin, making celebrities too hot, or whatever. It makes other girls feel like they should do it. I did it because i wanted to be thin and feel sexy. But i did it in the wrong way.

Reply
Kate

what i find ironic is that it seems that just about every other person here claims to have an ED of some sort....including me. --does that say anything?
im 17, and have struggled with bulimia and anorexia for nearly 5 years. i stand 5'11, and currently weigh 96lbs. ---i recently was dicharged from the hosp. though, where on admission, i was 87lbs.
bulima is not glamourous, nor is it fun. it is a waste of time, energy and money. it tears apart relationships, and makes you feel like shit in general. --nor is it a very good wieght loos stragedy! --i gain weight exponentially when i have a bulimic episode. i read ealier about a "15 year old male" considering bulimia for wieght loss. ---PLEASE

Reply
lucky7

I have ednos (eating disorder not otherwise specified) and you have to realize that eating disorders are not just about eating. It rarely has anything to do with food. It is control and a way of punishing yourself. I have never admitted this to anyone and I know that it is a big step in the recovery process. Whatever has brought Lindsay to this point is obviously very painful. Eating disorder's are addictions just like drugs and alcohol, a way to escape if you will. She still needs help, more with drinking, but there is obviously a lot of pain behind the mask of her wild life. I am still a fan of Lindsay Lohan, I just know that she still to this day needs help and I hope that she can truly recover.

Reply
Jodie

I am big fan of lindsey, But now i think that she is too thin.
Shes a brilliant acctress and i would like to see her acting with a bit more shape to her =)

Reply
maranda

I think anybody with this problem should find help fast, because this disorder can lead to death. I am doing a project in public speaking about this, and there is help that can help anybody who has such a problem. You should look at the diffrent websites, and numbers and call and find help fast. Bulimia is a serious condition that young girls suffer because weight issues or low self esteem problems. All thouse problems can be helped, but bulimia can't unless u want it to.

Reply
Kiki

Eating disorders are a disease just like any other - diabetes, heart disease. Just because we don't know the cause does not mean they are not diseases like any other. So don't be ashamed, go to the doctor like you would with any other disease. Eating disorders can kill you faster than some other diseases since they mess up the very important electrolyte balance in your body, which controls everything from your breathing to your heart rhythms.
Don't listen to idiots who tell you it is all in your head. Eventually they will find a biological basis like the other diseases. Don't die because you are embarrassed.

Reply
nicole

i think that everybody should just stay out of then star's life like wat the hell would u like it if everybody was interfering in ur life

Reply
Ffion Darbyshire

That Is Soooo True Anyway Some People Have Wrote That They Have Bulimia On This Chat Log And No One Has Make A Huge Fuss About Them To Stop It

Reply
dalia

first af all:if normal lindsay had bulimia then do u expect nicole richie to be a "normal and Healthy" skeletton?
second:i had bulimia issues since 17,got worse then stopped then got worse and now ALMOST OVER (in 2 month i binged 2 times).GUYS ITS SERIOUS but there is hope :u have to learn HOW to eat and WHAT to eat . My advice never eat sugar stuff alone as a meal or even carbs alone coz i was addicted to carbs :-( good luck

Reply
ffion darbyshire

I Never Really Noticed Lindsayy But I Must Say She did go thin after being with nicole richie maybe it was Nicole pressuring her to be skinny like her ???

Reply


Navigate comments: 1 2

Add Your Comment

Required
Required (never displayed)
Comments may be held for moderation.

©2003-2009 Diet-Blog - All Rights Reserved | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use | Disclaimer