Statistics say that up to 24 million people of all ages and genders suffer from an eating disorder (anorexia, bulimia and binge eating disorder) in the United States. It is a serious condition that can even be life-threatening. Hollywood is certainly the place where people feel the pressure to be thin, therefore it’s no surprise that some stars have battled body image issues that led to eating disorders. Here are their stories.

Christina Ricci

 

 

 

 

 

The actress said her eating disorder was reportedly triggered by something she saw on television. The weight-conscious culture of Hollywood led to her eventual hospitalization at age 16 for anorexia. “At the time that I was starting to diet and stuff, I saw this TV movie, and I thought, ‘Ooh – anorexia. I could probably do that,’” Ricci told The Guardian in 2004. She has since recovered and looks great.

Kesha

 

 

 

 

 

Kesha checked into rehab for bulimia. The ‘Tik Tok’ singer explained, “I’m a crusader for being yourself and loving yourself, but I’ve found it hard to practice. I’ll be unavailable for the next 30 days, seeking treatment for my eating disorder… to learn to love myself again, exactly as I am.” Her mom checked in shortly after to cope with the post-traumatic stress disorder she claims came with the stress of her daughter’s illness.

Dennis Quaid

 

 

 

 

 

Quaid said his battle with “manorexia” began when he lost 40 pounds to play dying Doc Holliday in the 1994 movie Wyatt Earp. He told Best Life magazine, “My arms were so skinny that I couldn’t pull myself out of a pool. I’d look in the mirror and still see a 180 pound guy, even though I was 138 pounds.” Quaid added, “For many years, I was obsessed about what I was eating, how many calories it had, and how much exercise I’d have to do.” Quaid recovered after getting treatment.

Kelly Clarkson

 

 

 

 

 

American Idol’s first winner Kelly Clarkson got criticized for her curves on the show, but the Texas native later admitted that she’d suffered from an eating disorder as a teen after missing out on a high school musical. “I thought if I came back and I was cuter and thinner, then I’d get the role,” she said. “It wasn’t smart … and I became bulimic for the next six months.”

Billy Bob Thornton

 

 

 

 

 

The actor told the Los Angeles Daily News in 1998 that he “got anorexic” after doing the movie U-Turn. “Frankly, for a while there, I think I had a little mental problem,” he said. “I got anorexic; of course, I denied it to my girlfriend [Laura Dern] and everyone else who said I had an eating disorder.” The actor said he lost 59 pounds, going from 197 while doing U-Turn to 138 for the film Pushing Tin. But Billy Bob put some weight back on and is healthy.

Demi Lovato

 

 

 

 

 

After her stint in rehab, the singer told Seventeen, “I started compulsively overeating at a very young age. And then I almost stopped eating altogether at the age of 12, after being harassed by kids at school, for being “fat”. My eating disorder will continue to affect me for the rest of my life, but I’m proud to say that I got the help I needed, and am now the happiest and healthiest I have ever been!”

Jessica Alba

 

 

 

 

 

Jessica Alba is famous for her great figure but even she says worried about her weight when she was younger. Alba realized that she had a problem when she dropped below 100 pounds and learned how to cook in an effort to stay slim but healthy. “A lot of girls have eating disorders and I did too. I became obsessed with it. I never see myself as a beautiful woman and have never traded on that to get ahead in this business. With treatment I have now conquered the fear that drove me to become dangerously thin,” she said.

Lindsay Lohan

 

 

 

 

 

Lindsay Lohan opened up to Vanity Fair about her super-skinny days back in 2006. She told the magazine she suffered from bulimia, saying, “I was sick, and I was scared too. I had people sit me down and say, ‘You’re going to die if you don’t take of yourself.’”

Ashley Hamilton

 

 

 

 

 

Iron Man 3 star Ashley Hamilton, who’s been sober for more than six years, told People magazine: “I suffered from bulimia and anorexia. I believe it was my problem before I got into drugs and alcohol. I used the drugs and alcohol to control the food addiction.” Although free of bulimia now for years, within the past year Hamilton sought treatment for “restricting or overeating” food.