Jameela Jamil has revealed how her previous experience with an eating disorder left a lasting impact on her body.
The “Good Place” alum, 38, recalled her struggle with anorexia on Wednesday’s episode of Kelly Ripa’s “Let’s Talk off Camera” podcast, admitting she “f—ed up my kidney, my liver, my digestive system, my heart.”
Most recently, she also discovered that she “destroyed” her bone density.
“I took so many laxatives, I’m amazed I even still have an a–hole, to be perfectly honest. It’s a real trooper. It’s a survivor. I took any pill or drink or diet that Oprah recommended. I did it. I took it. You know, any very low calorie supermodel diet,” she said.
While she claimed she’d like to blame outside pressures for her self esteem issues, “ultimately this one’s on me,” she continued.
“I’m so sorry to my body that I have jeopardized my future so severely for a beauty standard and to try to fit in with other people,” the actress said.
“That’s why I’m so annoying publicly about eating disorders and diets because there’s so much talk about the dangers of being in a bigger body and there’s no talk almost about the dangers of not eating enough, only eating too much,” she continued.
Jamil, who also once called out Kim Kardashian for her participation in setting “impossible” beauty standards, added, “I think that’s really dangerous because we really have no idea the way that people’s fertility is f—ed, the way their long-term health is f—ed. We just don’t talk about it and it’s an inconvenient truth that the diet industry kind of squashes.”
“So I want to be someone who reminds people: don’t eat for your waistline now, eat for your longevity later,” she said.
Now that she’s been “eating properly” for nearly five years, Jamil said she’s glad for the progress she’s made.
“My hair has grown back, and my energy has come back, my sex drive has come back and everything is better in my life,” she said with a laugh.
However, her recent health achievements haven’t entirely made up for the damage her eating disorder caused.
“I’m just pissed because I’m in pain now and everything’s more complicated,” she added.
As a result of her experience, the actress doubled down on her previous vow to inform others who could be going down the same path.
“I guess I’m just not thinking of myself so much now. I’ve got more capacity to think of others and using every bit of energy I have to warn everyone else,” she said.
