Of the three main eating disorders that you typically hear about in the news media — anorexia, compulsive overeating and bulimia — it's the latter that is probably most frequently misunderstood. So it's a good thing that actress Diane Keaton, who has starred in such hit movies as "Annie Hall" and "The Godfather," recently opened up about her past struggles with bulimia on "The Dr. Oz Show."
Keaton is known for her svelte figure and movie star good looks, but early in her career she was beset by body image issues that led her to eat 20,000 calories a day, only to throw it up later. She repeatedly stated that she is a recovering addict who still has to deal with the aftermath of her illness.
"All I did was feed my hunger, so I am an addict," she told Dr. Oz. "It's true. I'm an addict in recovery, I'll always be an addict. I have an addictive nature to me."
She stated that her bulimia was motivated in part by an early experience on Broadway, when she developed anxiety because she was asked to lose 10 pounds for a part. This is important because often cases of eating disorders like this that are reported in the media address the disorder, but not the underlying psychological causes.
The dual diagnosis treatment program at Fairwinds Treatment Center tries to rectify this by providing our patients with therapeutic counseling in addition to access to a nutritionist and other services that are crucial for recovery. Anyone seeking treatment for bulimia can rest assured that our programs, led by Dr. Pauline Powers, have been shown to be successful in helping patients overcome their illness.
