Hilary Duff Details Her "Horrifying" Eating Disorder As A Teenager

Hilary Duff is opening up about her past struggles. In an interview with Women’s Health Australia, she detailed battling an eating disorder at age 17. “Because of my career path, I can’t help but be like, ‘I am on camera and actresses are skinny,'" Duff told the publication of her mindset at the time, adding that her eating disorder lasted a year when she was 17 going on 18. "It was horrifying." At the time, Duff was best known for her starring role on the beloved Disney Channel series Lizzie McGuire, which also made it to the big screen in The Lizzie McGuire Movie.

Duff first mentioned the “horrifying” experience when she posed nude on the cover of Women’s Health in May 2022, saying that she’s proud of her body for withstanding a lot of change. “I’m proud that it’s produced three children for me. I’ve gotten to a place of being peaceful with the changes my body has gone through,” she said. Duff shares a son with ex Mike Comrie and two daughters with husband Matthew Koma.

“I think that, at 34, I have just gained a lot of respect for my body. It’s taken me all the places I need to go. It’s helped me build a beautiful family. I feel like the older I get, the more confident I get in my own skin,” she continued in her May cover story. “[I’m] appreciating my health, doing activities that make me feel strong instead of just bettering the outside of my body. Spending time with people that make me feel good and share similar views on health and body positivity and getting enough sleep and balance in my diet.”

She was also quick to remind fans that her nude photoshoot was highly stylized and that she doesn’t necessarily look like that every day. “I want people to know a makeup artist was there putting glow all over my body and someone put me in the most flattering position.”

For Duff, therapy has been a huge source of comfort to her and her ongoing journey with her body. “We bust our a** to get our bodies in shape and to look the best we can... But I want to work on the inside. That’s the most important part of the system.”

If you or someone you know has an eating disorder and needs help, call the National Eating Disorders Association helpline at 1-800-931-2237, text 741741, or chat online with a helpline volunteer here.