Initially famous for her 1991 portrayal of Wednesday Addams, Ricci grew up in the limelight. The weight-conscious culture of Hollywood led to her eventual hospitalization at age 16 for anorexia. Ricci has since spoken about her experience, stating to Marie Claire UK that it has taken her "a while" to become comfortable with herself.
Jessica Alba is known for having one of the most beautiful and toned bodies in Hollywood. The actress, however, has openly admitted to a long battle with eating disorders and a crippling lack of self-confidence. She told Glamour that when she went from "a girl's body to a woman's body with natural fat in places" she was thrown. "It makes you feel weird, like you're not ready for that body."
While playing Meadow Soprano on the hit TV series The Sopranos, Jamie Lynn Sigler exercised up to four hours a day and ate almost nothing. While she eventually sought help, the actress says that for a long time she found it "hard to recognize" herself. Jamie Lynn has since made a full recovery from anorexia and now serves as an ambassador for the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA).
During the filming of the popular TV show Ally McBeal, co-star Calista Flockhart began a period of what she would describe as "under-eating [and] over-exercising." The actress showed up at public events looking gaunt and malnourished. Throughout the 90s, Flockhart denied rumors that she had suffered from anorexia, but in 2002 she spoke openly about her struggle with body image issues and anorexia.
In addition to appearing in campaigns for H&M, Chanel, and Zac Posen, model Crystal Renn has penned a memoir—Hungry: A Young Model's Story of Appetite, Ambition and the Ultimate Embrace of Curves. In the book, the formerly anorexic model shares her journey of self-acceptance and calls her recovery an "epiphany." Renn is also passionate about changing fashion industry standards, advocating for the sample size to change from a size 0 to 8.
Whether you know her from her as the bombshell from Smash or the runner-up on American Idol, Katherine McPhee is a knockout (with talent to boot.) But the singer revealed that during the taping of American Idol, she suffered from bulimia "Food my eating disorder was the one thing holding me back," she told People. "I mean, here I am, this singer, and it was so horrible on my vocal cords." McPhee has since received treatment and is now a healthy weight.
Mary-Kate Olsen is an American actress, fashion designer, producer, author, and businesswoman. She co-founded luxury fashion brands The Row, Elizabeth and James, and the more affordable lines Olsenboye and StyleMint alongside her fraternal twin sister Ashley Olsen. Olsen pursued acting independently as an adult until 2012
Nine years after receiving treatment for anorexia, fashion designer and celebrity twin Mary-Kate Olsen looks fit and healthy. The star, who grew up in the public eye, says that unrelenting media scrutiny played a big part in the development of her eating disorder. "I would never wish my upbringing on anyone," Mary-Kate said in a 2010 interview with Marie Claire magazine.
Hollywood's body scrutiny has led many stars to develop unhealthy eating disorders and unhealthy habits. However, there is a growing movement in the entertainment industry to change this standard, and actively accept a more diverse array of shapes and weights. The stars above have been an important part of this movement, whether by speaking out about their struggle or helping to make young women everywhere more aware of the disorder.
