Hilaria Baldwin revealed that she started dieting when she was just 5 years old. This may seem shocking, but experts say it’s all too common.
In an interview with SiriusXM’s Page Six Radio on July 28, the mother of seven, 42, opened up about her decades of poor eating habits, including dieting when she was younger.
“It’s all something I did. I had anorexia, bulimia, binge eating, binge eating,” Baldwin said, adding that in extreme cases, she was even “scared of how many calories were in toothpaste.”
According to the Acute Nutrition Center for Eating Disorders and Severe Malnutrition, eating disorders can start sooner than many people expect.
“Each year, approximately 14 million people worldwide experience an eating disorder, 3 million of whom are children and adolescents,” the center says on its website.
Studies also show that 20% of children show signs of eating disorders, the center added.
“Although not all children who exhibit eating disorders will develop an eating disorder, eating disorders can predict the onset and outcome of eating disorders in early adulthood,” the site says.
Baldwin said she decided to heal herself before having children.
Despite recent advances against harmful food culture, such as the 2010 wave of size inclusivity and the rise of the body positivity and body neutrality movements, there are concerns that “the cultural swing toward the thin ideal is growing again,” Sam DeCaro, director of clinical support and education at the Renfrew Center, which specializes in eating disorder treatment, previously told USA TODAY.
According to the Acute Center for Eating Disorders and Severe Malnutrition, multiple risk factors, including social pressure, can increase a child’s risk of developing an eating disorder.
Baldwin said that “no matter how much bubble wrap you wrap[children]in,” the message of food culture “will get through.”
What is her approach? Conversations with them focused on food, not appearance.
“What I try to do with kids is empower them. Talk about strength. Talk about how eating food makes you feel,” she explained.
Experts agree that it’s best to avoid comments about a person’s appearance, whether negative or positive. That’s because it reinforces the belief that appearance is the most important thing to a person, Dr. Elizabeth Wassenaar, regional medical director for the Eating Recovery Center, previously told USA TODAY.
“These comments about whether your body is acceptable or not are a reminder that you are not worth more than your body…and that you have to present yourself a certain way for the world to find you acceptable,” she said. “It just reinforces that kind of superficial, body-focused thinking that we know is so painful and harmful to each of us, because we are more than this vessel that carries us.”
If you or someone you know is struggling with body image or eating issues, the National Eating Disorders Association Toll-free and confidential helpline You can call or text us at 1-800-931-2237 or click-to-chat message. Nationaleatingdisorders.org/Helpline. For 24/7 crisis information, text “NEDA” to 741-741.
