Empire star Gabourey Sidibe reveals battle with bulimia and crippling insecurities over her size led to her drastic weight loss surgery

EMPIRE star Gabourey Sidibe has opened up about her battle with bulimia having now gone under the knife in a desperate attempt to lose weight.

The US actress, 33, has revealed how she first began struggling with her appearance aged just six, resulting in a fight with crippling insecurities that spanned years.

Writing in her new memoir, This Is Just My Face: Try Not To Stare, Gabourey reveals how the split of her parents - subway singer Alice and New York taxi driver Ibnou - was a catalyst for the bulimia, along with depression and anxiety.

But Gabourey says she overcame it all thanks to therapy: "It has taken me years to realise that what I was born with is all beautiful," she has written in her book, which is out in May.

Having found fame in the 2009 movie Precious, Gabourey attempted to lose weight herself before eventually opting for surgery in May last year.

The decision came after she and her brother Ahmed, 34, were diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes.

Gabourey has now had her stomach "cut in half" in an effort to curb her hunger and the results are very visible.

Although she has not revealed exactly how much weight she has lost, Gabourey has slimmed down dramatically and continues to do so.

She is said to be working with a nutritionist, regularly swims and works out with a personal trainer.

Gabourey explains in her memoir: "The surgery wasn’t the easy way out.

"I wasn’t cheating by getting it done. I wouldn’t have been able to lose as much as I’ve lost without it."

She adds: "I was in a war with my body for a long time. If I’d started treating it better sooner, I wouldn’t have spent so many years hating myself. But I love my body now."

Gabourey's weight loss was first noticed on the red carpet in the US last September.

Since then, the star has told Oprah Winfrey: "I've never been a small girl.

"One day I had to sit down with myself and decide that I loved myself no matter what my body looked like and no matter what other people though of my body.

"I just got tired of feeling bad all the time, I got tired with hating myself."

Gabourey plays Becky Williams in US drama Empire.

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