Celebrities battle eating disorders

20 April 2008 12:00am

John Prescott may appear an unlikely bulimia sufferer, but he joins a long list of celebrities who have spoken openly of their troubled relationship with food.

Experts believe there are more than a million people in Britain with an eating disorder such as bulimia or anorexia.

Although 90% of those affected are women, growing numbers of men are contacting support groups for help in beating their problem.

The true numbers could be even higher because sufferers often keep their condition secret and many cases go undiagnosed.

Bulimia nervosa - literally meaning "the nervous hunger of an ox" was only recognised as an eating disorder in its own right in 1979.

The condition is characterised by binge eating, often immediately followed by vomiting, use of laxatives or excessive exercise to get rid of the food.

By contrast, anorexia sufferers severely restrict the amount they eat and drink in an attempt to control their weight.

Diana, Princess of Wales was perhaps the most high profile bulimic, and publicity about her plight apparently led to a large increase in other patients coming forward.

Details of the Princess's battle with the eating disorder first emerged in the 1992 book about her life by Andrew Morton.

This coincided with a surge in women being diagnosed with bulimia, with cases more than doubling during the 1990s, psychiatrists reported in 2005.

Other people in the public eye who have spoken out about their bulimia include singers Elton John and Geri Halliwell, and TV personality Sharon Osborne.

In 2005 actress Jane Fonda told a conference of teenage girls in the US: "I was bulimic for 35 years. I mistook the physical hunger for spiritual hunger."

Researchers say bulimia was relatively rare before 1970 but cases of the disorder have been rising sharply since the 1980s.

Bulimics are often high achievers with demanding jobs who appear outgoing and confident.

The condition tends to develop later than anorexia, in the late teens or early 20s, and is frequently associated with low self-esteem.

Stress can bring it on - as Mr Prescott says happened in his case - and sufferers can hide their disorder from close family and friends for years.

The symptoms can include frequent weight change, tooth decay and bad breath caused by excessive vomiting, lethargy and facial swelling.

Eating disorder charity Beat says on its website: "Bulimia is more difficult for others to notice as you tend not to lose weight so dramatically, or your weight will fluctuate.

"Even people close to you at home or work may not recognise the illness, so it can persist for many years undetected.

"People with bulimia may have demanding jobs that require them to be out-going and self-assured even when they feel inadequate inside.

"As with anorexia, people who develop bulimia become reliant on the control of food and eating as a way of coping with emotional difficulties in their life."

© The Press Association