The following contains mention of an eating disorder.
It’s heartbreaking to think that Lauren Alaina was going through insecurities with her body while she was on “American Idol” as a teenager. Her eating disorder began when she was 12 years old after comparing herself to other girls at school. “I was in a health class and they showed a girl who had bulimia and she was a really, really small girl and I remember thinking, ‘Oh that’s what you have to do to be skinny? OK,'” Alaina told Self in 2017. “The video was showing how she ended up being hospitalized, but I just saw that she was skinny and I wanted to be skinny so bad, that that’s what stuck in health class, which is so sad,” she added.
Alaina’s eating disorder continued throughout her time on “American Idol.” She shared on the “Better Tomorrow with Hannah Brown” podcast that being on television only made her body image issues worse. “People commented a lot on my weight, which, what kind of evil humans can comment on a 16-year-old child is beyond me now. But as that 16-year-old child, it got very bad for a while,” the “Doin’ Fine” singer recalled.
Alaina got treatment at 18 years old and learned to have a healthy relationship with food. She now uses her platform to help others with eating disorders.
If you need help with an eating disorder or know someone who does, help is available. Visit the National Eating Disorders Association website or contact NEDA’s Live Helpline at 1-800-931-2237. You can also receive 24/7 Crisis Support via text (send NEDA to 741-741).
