In her Netflix documentary Miss Americana, Taylor Swift opened up about a personal struggle she had long kept private, an eating disorder often triggered by paparazzi photos and negative comments about her body.
She explained, “I thought I was supposed to feel like I was going to pass out at the end of a show or even during it. But now I understand that if you eat, have energy, and build strength, you can perform all these shows without feeling that way. That realization has made me much happier with who I am. I don’t care as much if someone points out that I’ve gained weight. Being a size 6 instead of a size 00—it wasn’t how I thought my body was supposed to be, but I just didn’t understand that at the time.”
Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) is a mental health condition in which a person becomes overly preoccupied with perceived flaws in their appearance. These concerns can involve any aspect of the body, including skin, hair, weight, or facial features, and can interfere significantly with daily life, relationships, and self-esteem.
Can body dysmorphia contribute to eating disorders?
While BDD and eating disorders are distinct, body dysmorphia can increase the risk of developing one. When preoccupations focus specifically on weight or body shape, individuals may adopt unhealthy behaviors such as restrictive eating, bingeing, or purging.
This can overlap with conditions like Anorexia nervosa, characterized by severe food restriction due to fear of gaining weight, or Bulimia nervosa, which involves cycles of binge eating followed by compensatory behaviors.
However, not everyone with BDD will develop an eating disorder; the risk depends on the specific body concerns and other psychological factors.
