Emma Thompson lifts the lid on Hollywood’s ‘evil’ anorexia problem
"The anorexia — there’s so many kids, girls and boys now, and actresses who are very, very thin into their 30s, who simply don’t eat. They don’t eat."
ACTRESS Emma Thompson has opened up about Hollywood's "evil" anorexia problem, explaining how she now “feels fat and old” whenever she visits Los Angeles.
In an interview with Swedish chat show Skavlan last week, the 57-year-old admitted that there were some actresses who “simply don’t eat” in the industry.
“The French fashion industry said they would get rid of size zero and then, you know, they didn’t,” the British actress said.
“The anorexia — there’s so many kids, girls and boys now, and actresses who are very, very thin into their 30s, who simply don’t eat. They don’t eat.
“Sometimes there are just some subjects that you absolutely have to make noise about because it’s so tedious and it’s gone on and on.”
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Thompson, who has starred in the Harry Potter film series, as well as Love Actually, Stranger Than Fiction and Beauty and the Beast, revealed there was a moment when she threatened to quit a film after a female co-star was body shamed and asked to lose weight,
She added: “There was a wonderful actress in a film I did called Brideshead Revisited and the producer said to her, ‘Would you lose some weight?’ and she was exquisite and I said to them, ‘If you speak to her about this again on any level I will leave this picture. You are never to do that’.”
WHAT IS AN EATING DISORDER AND HOW TO SPOT ONE
Eating disorders are a range of conditions that can affect someone physically, psychologically and socially.
They are a serious mental illnesses and include anorexia, bulimia and binge eating disorder.
Over 725,000 men and women in the UK are affected by eating disorders.
Although they are serious, they are treatable and a full recovery is possible.
The sooner someone gets the treatment they need, the more likely they are to make a full recovery.
Who can get them?
Absolutely anyone can develop an eating disorder, regardless of their age, gender, or cultural background.
However, young women are most likely to develop an eating disorder, particularly those aged 12 to 20.
Eating disorders claim more lives than any other mental illness – one in five of the most seriously affected will die prematurely from the physical consequences or suicide.
The cause of eating disorders is not yet known.
They are complex and not everyone will experience the same symptoms.
The two most common are anorexia and bulimia.
Anorexia:
People with this condition keep their body weight low by dieting, vomiting, using laxatives or excessively exercising.
The way people with anorexia see themselves is often at odds with how they are seen by others and they will usually challenge the idea that they should gain weight.
Often people with anorexia have low confidence and poor self-esteem.
They will often fear getting fat, lie about what they have eaten, count calories excessively, avoid food and behave obsessively.
They can see their weight loss as a positive achievement that can help increase their confidence.
It can also contribute to a feeling of gaining control over body weight and shape.
Bulimia
People with bulimia feel that they have lost control over their eating and evaluate themselves according to their body shape and weight.
They are caught in a cycle of eating large quantities of food (called ‘bingeing’), and then vomiting, taking laxatives or diuretics (called purging), in order to prevent gaining weight.
They may also have very low self-esteem and self-harm.
People with this condition may often have mood swings, feel anxious and tense, feel guilty about their eating habits and may show signs of depression.
Bulimia usually develops at a slightly older age than anorexia.
In some instances, although not all, bulimia develops from anorexia.
What to do if you are worried about someone
If you are worried about someone, try reaching out to them and talking to them about what they are feeling.
Many people who have recovered from an eating disorder talk about the importance of having unconditional love and support from those who care about them.
Friends and family can find help and advice from eating disorder charity B-eat at www.b-eat.co.uk
Source: B-eat
Thompson admitted that the “evil” side of Hollywood, and the obsession with looks is part of the reason why she’s never moved from her home in London to LA.
“Every time I go to LA I think ‘Oh god I am too fat to go there’,” she said.
“I think they are saying to me when I arrive ‘You are fat and you are old. Go home’.
“LA is so mad and so hostile. It is a very strange place and I could not live there.”
According to eating disorder charity, B-eat, there more than 725,000 people in the UK affected by an eating disorder, with anorexia one of the most common.
Other common eating disorders in the UK include bulimia and binge eating disorders.
About 10 per cent of people affected were suffering from anorexia and 40 per cent suffered from bulimia.
For help and advice about eating disorders visit
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