Hilaria Baldwin got candid about her past struggles with eating disorders.
“I did all of it. I did anorexia, I did bulimia, I did overeating, I did undereating,” the Baldwins star, 42, recalled during a Tuesday, July 28, episode of SiriusXM’s “Page Six Radio.” Baldwin said it became so severe there was a time she was “afraid of how many calories might be in toothpaste.”
“I look back and I looked fine. But I thought I was a whale [back then],” Baldwin said, noting that she “started dieting” when she was only 5 years old. “I just thought there was something broken inside of me.”
Now, the Dancing With the Stars alum can proudly say that she did “a lot of work” to heal and overcome the distorted way she viewed her body. “I don’t want to live this way; I’m miserable,” she said while reflecting on her journey. “I can’t have good relationships, I can’t have good friendships, I can’t eat out to dinner with people. It’s just so, so, so stressful.”
Baldwin also wants to make sure that her seven kids, Carmen, 12, Rafael, 10, Leonardo, 9, Romeo, 8, Eduardo, 5, María, 5, and Ilaria, 3, whom she shares with husband Alec Baldwin, have a healthy relationship with food.
“What I try to do with my kids is empower them, talk about strength, talk about, ‘How does the food make you feel?’” Hilaria explained, noting she never wants to “shame” them for eating an unhealthy snack.
Hilaria previously opened up about her eating disorder in 2018, sharing via Instagram, “In my book, The Living Clearly Method, I opened up about growing up with an eating disorder. I turned to yoga, health and wellness to heal my body and my mind.”
She added, “I think back to my old self and how much I would have struggled with gaining weight during pregnancy and being patient with healthfully losing it. I’m so happy I can be a strong and happy mommy now, completely accepting of my body.”
If you or someone you know struggles with an eating disorder, visit the National Alliance for Eating Disorders website or call their hotline at (866) 662-1235. Text “ALLIANCE” to 741741 for free, 24/7 support.
