Kelly Clarkson Admits Bulimia
American Idol Star Says She Struggled With an Eating Disorder
Singer of Because of You talks to CosmoGirl about her past body image issues
Kelly Clarkson did an interview with CosmoGirl, not about her hit songs, Because of You, Breakaway, or Express, but about her past eating disorder. She admits that in high school she struggled with a short bought of restricting food.
Body image issues are common in teenaged girls and Kelly said that it was during auditions for her high school musical that they really hit. She was not cast in the production and instead of moving on, thought, “If I came back and I’m cuter and thinner…then I’ll get the role” (CosmoGirl, 2007). The girl who did end up being cast was not as talented but thin and beautiful in Clarkson’s eyes.
She began starving herself in order to lose weight and return to school a new person (on the outside). The widespread belief that becoming thinner will resolve all other aspects of one’s life is a frequent principle with people who develop eating disorders follow devotedly.
Six months later, a friend of hers called her on her newfound behavior and she says, “One of my guy friends caught on to it, and I just felt so ashamed and embarrassed. I literally went cold turkey and snapped out of it” (CosmoGirl, 2007).
Being embarrassed and shameful about having an eating disorder is a common thread. Individuals feel like they are sinning and doing something terrible, all in the secret of their own bedroom or other hidden place.
Recovery usually takes a lot of work in this area in order to convince the sufferer that he/she is not guilty of anything wrong, but just needs to widen their toolkit for dealing with life.
Clarkson is now thriving and says she works hard everyday to foster a positive body image for herself. By doing this, she is helping thousands of teenaged girls that look up to her and love her music, gain a new role model who feels strongly about staying healthy.
In comments about her butt, she laughs, “I’ve got a butt, I’m Greek- I can’t help that. And I think it’s good for people to see normal” (CosmoGirl, 2007).
All over the internet, her fans have commented on the fact that they’re glad she realized that she didn’t need to starve herself in order to be accepted. They love her for her music and her strong self-esteem, which is a great new trend in the music industry. Let’s hope she always stands up for herself.
You can read the full length interview about Kelly Clarkson in the August edition of CosmoGirl.
