Latest news with #NationalEatingDisordersAssociation
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
"Why Can't I Look Like That Again?": Tom Daley Opens Up About His Struggle With Body Image
Warning: Discussion about body image and eating disorders. Tom Daley is opening up about his struggle with body image now that he's retired from diving. In a profile with The Times, the five-time Olympic medalist opened up about his concerns over his body image and how it affected him throughout his career, before and after retirement. Tom had been a diver since he was seven years old, and he had dived in his first Olympics at 14 in 2008 as Britain's youngest competitor. In his career, he's won five Olympic medals, including gold, in Tokyo in 2021. Related: 24 Strange, Gross, And Totally Surprising Facts About Red Carpet Outfits In 2024, he announced his retirement after winning the silver at the Paris Olympics in the 10m men's synchronized dive with Noah Williams. After his photo shoot with The Times for the profile, Tom admitted, "I struggled over there." @tomdaley / Related: Sophie Turner Opened Up About Her "Incredibly Sad" Split From Joe Jonas "I've always had such horrible body issues going through my diving career. Now I'm not an athlete that trains six hours a day, I especially hate it." Despite the public's perception, Tom was honest about how watching old videos made him feel about his body. "I know if I'm rational about it, I should be completely happy, but seeing videos of what I looked like in the Olympics, I'm, like, why can't I look like that again?" Since retirement, Tom has lived in West Hollywood with his partner, Dustin Lance Black, and their two children. "It feels as though that part of me that was a diver is dead," Tom continued. View this photo on Instagram "When I watch competitions [on TV] it's as if I'm a spirit looking in from above, thinking, 'If I was in that, I would have done this.' It's really hard. You've got to be in it to win it. But when you're sitting on the sidelines it's like you've been benched for eternity." Being a champion Olympic athlete, especially after coming out in 2013, put him in the spotlight. "Growing up in the initial ages of social media and gay culture, being held to such a high standard, it's really difficult," Tom said. "Now I need to just have a healthy relationship with my body." You can read the entire interview here. The National Eating Disorders Association helpline is 1-800-931-2237; for 24/7 crisis support, text 'NEDA' to 741741. Also in Celebrity: "I Can't Emphasize Enough How Filthy Some Of These People Are": 39 Hollywood Secrets People Have Learned From Working With Celebs Also in Celebrity: If You Think You're Smarter Than The Average Celebrity, Prove It By Correctly Answering These Questions They Got Wrong On "Jeopardy" Also in Celebrity: 12 Celebs Who Came Out At A Young Age, And 13 Who Came Out Way Later In Life
Buzz Feed
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Buzz Feed
Tom Daley Struggles With Body Image
Warning: Discussion about body image and eating disorders. Tom Daley is opening up about his struggle with body image now that he's retired from diving. In a profile with The Times, the five-time Olympic medalist opened up about his concerns over his body image and how it affected him throughout his career, before and after retirement. Tom had been a diver since he was seven years old, and he had dived in his first Olympics at 14 in 2008 as Britain's youngest competitor. In his career, he's won five Olympic medals, including gold, in Tokyo in 2021. In 2024, he announced his retirement after winning the silver at the Paris Olympics in the 10m men's synchronized dive with Noah Williams. After his photo shoot with The Times for the profile, Tom admitted, "I struggled over there." "I've always had such horrible body issues going through my diving career. Now I'm not an athlete that trains six hours a day, I especially hate it." Despite the public's perception, Tom was honest about how watching old videos made him feel about his body. "I know if I'm rational about it, I should be completely happy, but seeing videos of what I looked like in the Olympics, I'm, like, why can't I look like that again?" Since retirement, Tom has lived in West Hollywood with his partner, Dustin Lance Black, and their two children. "It feels as though that part of me that was a diver is dead," Tom continued. "When I watch competitions [on TV] it's as if I'm a spirit looking in from above, thinking, 'If I was in that, I would have done this.' It's really hard. You've got to be in it to win it. But when you're sitting on the sidelines it's like you've been benched for eternity." Being a champion Olympic athlete, especially after coming out in 2013, put him in the spotlight. "Growing up in the initial ages of social media and gay culture, being held to such a high standard, it's really difficult," Tom said. "Now I need to just have a healthy relationship with my body." You can read the entire interview here. The National Eating Disorders Association helpline is 1-800-931-2237; for 24/7 crisis support, text 'NEDA' to 741741.
NDTV
05-05-2025
- Health
- NDTV
Are You A Healthy Eater Or Is It Orthorexia?
Choosing healthy food is often considered a sign of discipline and self-care. But when this desire turns into an obsession, it might be something more serious, orthorexia nervosa. Unlike other eating disorders that focus on the quantity of food, orthorexia is an unhealthy fixation on the quality and purity of food. While not officially recognised by the DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders), growing awareness among psychologists and nutritionists worldwide suggests that orthorexia is a rising concern, especially in health-conscious societies. So how do you know if you're eating healthy, or crossing the line? Understanding orthorexia and how it differs from clean eating Orthorexia starts with good intentions, avoiding processed foods, sugar, or additives, but escalates into an unhealthy obsession. According to the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA), orthorexia often involves rigid rules, food-related anxiety, and social isolation. While clean eating promotes balance, orthorexia lacks flexibility, causing stress, malnutrition, and emotional distress despite appearing 'healthy' on the surface. 1. You obsessively read nutrition labels While it's wise to understand what goes into your food, orthorexic individuals may spend hours scrutinising every label, ingredient, and sourcing detail, often rejecting food not meeting self-imposed purity standards. 2. You avoid entire food groups without medical reasons Cutting out gluten, dairy, or carbs without allergies or intolerances may be a red flag. Orthorexia can lead people to eliminate foods not because of symptoms but based on misinformation or fear. 3. Eating 'clean' gives you a sense of superiority Feeling morally 'better' than others for your food choices is another sign. Orthorexia can create a divide between 'good' and 'bad' eaters, increasing social judgment and personal guilt around food. 4. You feel anxious when 'healthy' food is unavailable People with orthorexia often experience anxiety, guilt, or distress if they have to eat outside their dietary rules, such as at social events, family meals, or restaurants. 5. Your food rules affect your relationships Skipping gatherings or being overly rigid about where and what you eat may indicate that orthorexia is impacting your quality of life and isolating you socially. 6. You spend excessive time planning meals If a significant part of your day revolves around planning, sourcing, or preparing food with perfect standards, it may be more than just a healthy habit. 7. You ignore hunger cues to stick to food purity Listening to your body is essential for well-being. People with orthorexia often ignore hunger or fatigue if they can't find food that meets their standards, prioritising purity over nourishment. 8. You're underweight or facing nutrient deficiencies Ironically, orthorexia can result in undernourishment. Eliminating too many foods might lead to deficiencies in protein, iron, B12, and healthy fats, impacting your overall health despite 'eating clean.' What to do if you think you have orthorexia If your eating habits are driven more by fear than by nourishment, it's time to pause. Seek help from a psychologist, dietitian, or a specialist in eating disorders. According to NEDA, early intervention improves recovery outcomes. Mindful eating, therapy, and balanced nutrition can help you reclaim a healthy relationship with food, body, and life. Orthorexia blurs the line between wellness and obsession. While being mindful of food is admirable, it should not control your happiness or isolate you. A truly healthy eater embraces flexibility, balance, and emotional well-being. If your eating habits are starting to limit your joy, reach out, because health is not just what you eat, but how you live. Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for a qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.
NBC News
09-04-2025
- Health
- NBC News
What is 'SkinnyTok'? The weight-loss trend preaches tough love but comes with risks
Warning: This story discusses eating disorders. If you or a loved one is struggling with an eating disorder, the National Eating Disorders Association offers a free and confidential screening tool, support, resources and treatment options. As an anti-diet culture influencer in recovery from an eating disorder, Phaith Montoya says she prefers not to engage with body-shaming social media posts. She tells she'd retired from battling people in the comments on TikTok — until last month, when so many of her 3 million followers started asking her about #SkinnyTok that she decided to take a look. The content posted with the hashtag reminded her of the 2010s-era ' pro-anorexia Tumblr ' and ' eating disorder Twitter,' so she decided to speak out in a TikTok that's since gotten over a million views. Montoya, 27, was about 9 years old when she was first put on a diet. She ate less than her brother but weighed more, and her doctor was concerned. Without any referrals to counselors or dietitians, she says her parents did the best they could. Montoya cycled through restrictive fad diets and their emotional fallout for years, and eventually was diagnosed with hypothyroid disease, which can lead to weight gain, among other symptoms, according to Mayo Clinic. In college, she started seeing mental health and nutrition professionals who gave her science-backed tools and support. She also learned she'd been struggling with binge-eating disorder. Now years into her recovery, Montoya says she was still 'so jarred, so taken aback' by what she saw on SkinnyTok. 'I know that if I had seen that (advice) when I was younger, I would have thought I needed it, too,' she says. 'I felt inclined to speak for the girl that I was.' In her response video, Montoya explained that her mental health was at its lowest when her eating disorder peaked, and her 'life completely changed when I just stopped hating myself.' She said she wanted to reject the message she observed in so many SkinnyTok videos — that thinness leads to happiness. What is SkinnyTok? 'SkinnyTok' is hugely successful by the numbers, with thousands of posts and millions of views across several platforms, including TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and a popular Reddit thread. A Google search estimates there are about 38,000 TikTok posts with the hashtag. The results page for 'SkinnyTok' on the platform that inspired the name shows a message that reads, 'You are more than your weight,' which, if tapped on, shares links to help find support for disordered eating, including the National Eating Disorder Association (NEDA). TikTok's health resources were developed in collaboration with experts like Cleveland Clinic, National Institute of Mental Health, World Health Organization and more, a spokesperson says. But beneath this banner are thousands of videos displaying weight-loss advice, body checks and before-and-afters packaged with words like 'discipline,' 'tough love' and 'hard truths.' Creators in the SkinnyTok world, most of whom appear to be women in their teens and 20s, often reshare their favorite 'SkinnyTok' sayings. Some common ones are: 'If your stomach is growling, pretend it's applauding you.' 'To be small, eat small. To be big, eat big.' 'You don't need a treat. You're not a dog.' On a given day, SkinnyTok devotees — and there are plenty — may be exposed to videos recommending calorie counts so low that I, as a registered dietitian, would almost never suggest them, not for a petite woman nor a still-growing teen. Research shows that extreme weight loss and fad diets don't work in the long term, typically ending in regain, and the changes in metabolism and hormones may leave a person struggling more than before. I also encountered little to no content about important nutrients like calcium, iron or vitamin D in my time searching the hashtag. Another theme noticeably missing? Joy, whether from moving your body, a tasty, nutritious meal, or achieving a non-scale victory. According to TikTok's community guidelines, it does 'not allow showing or promoting disordered eating and dangerous weight loss behaviors.' However, content 'that shows or promotes potentially harmful weight management' is allowed but restricted to people 18 or older and doesn't appear on the For You Feed. The TikTok algorithm also blocks repetitive content patterns, which can prevent videos about weight loss, extreme exercise and similar topics from being viewed too often, according to a spokesperson. Is the advice on SkinnyTok that harmful? Much of the advice on SkinnyTok boils down to eating less and moving more as the only way to lose weight, and it ignores the complexity of the science around weight loss and the relationship between health and weight. (TikTok says it works with independent fact-checkers and public health authorities to verify the accuracy of content and may apply warning labels when it cannot be verified.) But the main concern of the experts I spoke to was that many videos were encouraging viewers to feel shame around certain habits, which can have lasting, dangerous effects, research shows. Scrolling through SkinnyTok, 'I hear, 'You're not good enough. You're not trying hard enough,'' Paula Edwards-Gayfield, licensed professional counselor and NEDA board member, tells 'If we remove the external behaviors, what's underlying eating disorders is this core belief that I'm not good enough.' Feelings of shame can make weight loss and implementing healthier behaviors more difficult, research shows, whereas self-compassion makes them more likely. That's why I often tell my clients that their bodies deserve respect right now because shame-style coaching is based on bias, not science. Dietitian Andrea Mathis of the Beautiful Eats and Things blog recently wrote about SkinnyTok's 'dangerous rise' and how she understands why people are clamoring for content that claims to help you become the ideal body type. 'Intentional weight loss is sometimes the right thing to suggest, and I've seen people say (SkinnyTok) has made them more aware of what they put into their body,' Mathis tells While there's nothing wrong with that on the surface, she worries there's too much emphasis on restriction. 'Maybe it starts one way, but the more you do it with that mindset, it can turn into obsession,' she explains. According to NEDA, exposure to weight stigma, in particular the message that 'thinner is better,' can lead to disordered eating behaviors or a diagnosable eating disorder. People who struggle with depression and anxiety have a higher risk of eating disorders, and research links social media use to these conditions. People with eating disorders, about 9% of the U.S. population, often get trapped in a lifelong recovery process and sustain physical damage, including heart problems, gastrointestinal issues, cognitive declines, organ failure and more. For many, the struggle turns fatal. Eating disorders, especially anorexia, are among the deadliest mental health conditions, alongside substance use disorders. People of color are especially at risk because they're less likely to receive care, according to NEDA. If you're interested in losing weight, it's best to talk to a dietitian or other health professional. The most effective approach for you will depend on your age, medical history and more, and you can't get that specificity from an influencer online. 'Even if some of the creators have good intentions, they are sometimes giving nutrition advice, which they should not do,' Mathis says. Liam Fisher-Layton, a fitness content creator, tries to combat shame-fueled weight loss tactics on social media, in particular for men and boys, who are also at risk of eating disorders. He prefers to highlight the benefits of protein, fiber and other nutrients, as well as fun activity, instead of restriction and punishing gym routines. 'What I see a lot of (men and boys) saying is, 'I need the toxic motivation,'' which he finds unfortunate, he tells 'Maybe it helps this small percentage of people, and it doesn't cause an eating disorder, but how many others are going to be harmed? Is the benefit worth the cost? To me, absolutely not.' Is body-shaming back? Mathis says seeing the SkinnyTok trend 'broke my heart. I felt like we were going backwards.' But body-shaming never really left us, according to Martha Laham, author of ' Made Up ' and an expert on body image and marketing. 'SkinnyTok is just another version of something we've seen in the past,' she tells Citing the 1920s flapper diet, the 1960s obsession with supermodel Twiggy and 1990s 'heroin chic,' Laham says, 'The types of media and how we pursue it may be new, but the thin ideal has always been there when we take a historical look at Western beauty.' Edwards-Gayfield agrees that SkinnyTok is just an extension of the already prevalent, restrictive 'diet mentality.' 'It just really (embodies) the entirety of what my patients experience,' she adds. 'It is so ever-present that it's difficult for people to acknowledge that it's dieting. It's easy to normalize it because people don't think there's a problem with the behavior.' Laham points out in her book that decades of research show clear ties between consumption of 'appearance-focused media' and disordered eating and body image, especially for young women. She hopes more people can learn to see through it. When to get help If you're worried you or a loved one might be at risk of an eating disorder due to social media, keep in mind the warning signs, Edwards-Gayfield says. For example, are your thoughts increasingly consumed with diet and exercise routines? Are you withdrawing from meals with friends and family because you need to adhere to a strict regimen? 'This is where things start to go into disordered territory,' and it's time to get help, she says. That's especially true when a person turns to other harmful, 'emotionally driven' behaviors, such as exercising when injured or substance use, she adds. The bottom line? You may be able to learn some tips on social media that can help you meet your fitness goals, especially if you're focused first on caring for yourself, but experts agree you can't hate yourself healthy. For example, I often recommend unsweetened sparkling water as a replacement for soda to reduce added sugar and foster an appreciation for less sweet tastes. What I don't do is suggest it as a replacement for a meal. You may also want to try curating your feed. On TikTok, it's possible 'to filter out videos with words or hashtags (you) don't want to see from (your) For You or Following feed,' the website notes. Just go to your content preferences, and add the keyword you no longer want to engage with. Following creators and groups who nourish your mind, body and soul can also make your feed more positive. Here are a few suggestions from the experts, as well as my own: Recovering from an eating disorder can take years, as Montoya can attest. These days, she has a happier, healthier relationship with food and her body, but 'it took a lot of help and resources to get there,' she adds. She hopes that speaking out against SkinnyTok can prevent others from needing the same.
Buzz Feed
07-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Buzz Feed
Kristin Davis Just Recalled The Horrifying Time Her TV Costar Let Slip That Producers Weren't Happy With Her Weight
This article mentions behavior and comments that may be triggering for people struggling with body image. While Kristin Davis is undeniably best known for playing Charlotte York in the hit sitcom Sex and the City and its sequel series And Just Like That…, she actually got her big break in another show entirely. Kristin was 30 years old when she landed the role of Brooke Armstrong in the US soap opera Melrose Place, which followed the lives of a group of beautiful young adults living in Los Angeles. And in a new interview with People, Kristin has opened up about the troubling pressure she faced to look a certain way during her time on this show — with the actor even hearing from her costar that producers weren't happy with her weight. Fox / Via Sharing what ran through her mind when she was first cast as Brooke, Kristin said: "Every single person was gorgeous and super skinny, so I was like: 'This is what I have to do.'' The star went on to explain that she hired a running coach and would also do back-to-back-90-minute spin classes, and was left 'frustrated' when she felt as though her efforts weren't paying off. 'I'm sure I wasn't eating; I have no idea. I don't remember the eating part,' Kristin added, saying that she 'fainted in a parking lot one time.' 'Sometimes I couldn't remember my name. It was a lot,' she went on. And while Kristin was risking her health to meet dangerous ideals, she recalled hearing from her costar Thomas Calabro that the Melrose Place producers had a problem with her size. Discussing Calabro, she told People: 'He's like: 'Kristin, I'm so happy to see you here! I just wanna tell you, you know, I think you look great,' and I'm like: 'Oh, thank you. What are you talking about? What do you mean?'' 'He said: 'Oh, I know that the producers are really stressed, you know, but I just think it's amazing that we have a woman who has curves,'' Kristin then revealed. "'I just think they shouldn't, you know, put too much pressure on you.' And I'm like: 'What?'" 'I go to the line producer, and I'm like: 'Thomas Calabro just told me that you guys are stressing about my weight. Did someone say something? Did Mr. [Aaron] Spelling say something?'' she recounted. 'And he was like: 'We think you look beautiful,' and I was like: 'Yeah, and?' He goes: 'Just don't gain any weight.'" Jim Smeal / Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images She went on to add that, sadly, this kind of behavior was 'just normal' back in the '90s. "It was normal for a long time,' Kristin said. 'There was a lot of stress. If you had hips, it was a situation." Kristin left Melrose Place after just one year because producers decided to kill off her character. But in 1998, her fortune changed when she was cast in Sex and the City, and the rest, as you know, is history. The National Eating Disorders Association helpline is 1-800-931-2237; for 24/7 crisis support, text 'NEDA' to 741741.
