Pop Star Denies Eating Disorder
Posted by: Uticopa in mental health, eating disorders on Oct 25, 2008
Sarah Harding, singer with the pop group Girls Aloud, has spoken out this week against rumours that she is suffering from an eating disorder. The rumours were triggered by photographs of the singer's slim frame, but Harding insists that she "eats like a horse".
This is just the latest in a long line of rumours - some true, some false - about women in the public eye having eating disorders. Perhaps most famously, and certainly most tragically, was the case of singer Karen Carpenter who, after years of denying she suffered from Anorexia Nervosa, died in 1983 from a heart attack brought about by the condition. She was only 32. At the time of her death, she weighed just an astonishing 49Kg.
Pop stars, actresses, and other women in the public eye are admired as role models by young girls. They often want to emulate them in many ways, and while the celebrities themselves may be eating healthily, their slim figures can often lead young girls to take drastic measures to achieve the same look.
Eating disorders are extremely serious and, as illustrated above, can lead to severe health problems and even death. But help is available for people with eating disorders, and these tragic conditions can be overcome, with the support of family and friends. If you suspect that someone you know is suffering from an eating disorder, you can help them by supporting them and encouraging to find help with their problem.
