After nearly three decades of struggling with their body image, Demi Lovato has learned to truly love themself. However, their journey to self-acceptance was no easy one.
Fans of singer and actress Demi Lovato are no alien to their years-long battle with alcoholism, drug addiction, eating disorder, and drug abuse. Likewise, the star has been open about their struggles with body image, and the daunting journey to loving and accepting themself.
OPENING UP ABOUT THEIR STRUGGLE WITH BODY IMAGE
During a sit-down with Katie Couric on “The Couric Show,” in 2012, Demi Lovato went candid about their body image issues which began from the age of three. The “Camp Rock” star recounted one of the earliest memories of them at three and still wearing a diaper.
The 28-year-old recalled rubbing their hands over their stomach and wondering if they would ever become flat. The issues only worsened as they grew older, as they always wanted to be slim.
During their school years, the other kids bullied them verbally, calling them fat, which took a negative toll on them. Those horrible words had a lasting impact on their body image.
DEMI LOVATO’S BATTLE WITH BULIMIA
By the time they weree eight, Demi Lovato adopted an eating disorder, which they described as “an unhealthy relationship with food.”
They recalled overeating compulsively and throwing up eventually to keep them in shape. The star also admitted bulimia appeared to run in the family. Notably, their mother battled the same issue, as did their grandmother before them.
Their situation worsened so much that she found themself performing on an empty stomach, self-medicating, and purging increasingly. Those issues soon led them to become “emotionally whacked.”
Yet, they never took medications for depression. Battling bulimia as a young girl without professional help soon led Lovato to start cutting themself. They described the habit as their way of letting out their shame on themself.
The singer cut short their tour with the Jonas Brothers in 2010 and enrolled in rehab. Medical professionals eventually diagnosedtheme with bipolar disorder.
HOW DEMI LOVATO FOUGHT BACK
Seeing as they were on a constant downward spiral, Demi Lovato decided to get help. They enrolled in an in-patient facility in Illinois to begin their journey to recovery.
The treatment process proved daunting at first, as it felt like a prison. However, determined to become a better person for their little sister and other young girls looking up to them, they fought back harder.
After months of enduring strict rules like not using the bathroom unsupervised, scheduled phone times, and supervised eating, they reached a good place in their recovery journey.
The icon has now become an advocate of body positivity. They encourage young women and girls suffering from eating disorders to seek help immediately.
DEMI LOVATO’S DECISION TO LOVE THEMSELF
Lovato has been open about their decision to embrace body positivity and love themself. While speaking to Teen Vogue’s Lindsay People’s Wagner, the “I Love Me” crooner recalled how they used to look into the mirror daily and remind themself they were beautifully and wonderfully made.
They also made daily confessions about loving their body. Yet, they never believed any of those declarations. However, after years of battling with their body image, the actress finally came to terms with themself. They no longer needed to “lie” about loving their body. Now, they truly did.
Rather than constantly restating what an amazing body they possessed, they focused on expressing gratitude for their strength, their healthy body, and the numerous things they could do with her body. Progress!
DEMI LOVATO’S INTERVIEW WITH ASHLEY GRAHAM
In February 2018, years after embracing self-acceptance, the “Demi Lovato: Dancing With The Devil” star laid out their past issues with body image on Ashley Graham’s podcast.
While appearing on the podcast, “Pretty Big Deal With Ashley Graham,” Lovato also went vocal about their past eating disorder. They recounted how they adopted some extreme diet and exercise routines as a way around their eating disorder.
Unbeknown to the star, those habits were simply pulling them deeper into their eating disorder rather than aiding their recovery. They explained:
“It was just me thinking I found recovery when I didn’t. And then living this kind of lie and trying to tell the world I was happy with myself when I really wasn’t.”
It took a while for them to realize that although the symptoms of their eating disorder were not as pronounced as before, their “supposed” dieting routine was in itself an eating issue. Following that discovery, Lovato decided to stop trying to look a certain way, embrace who they were, and take a stand for people who didn’t fit a certain body spectrum.
DEALING WITH BODY POSITIVITY ON INSTAGRAM
Social media has admittedly proven to be a blessing and a curse in Demi Lovato’s journey to self-acceptance. In their YouTube documentary, “Simply Complicated,” the “Confident” singer explained just how effective social media could be.
They admitted social media was a blessing because it enabled them to speak to their fans and spread the word on body positivity within milliseconds.
In the same vein, social platforms were also a curse because seeing unrealistic photos of models on Instagram, and comparing them to her own body made her feel inadequate.
After dealing with the resulting pressure for years, Lovato realized that not everything thye saw online was real. Most perfect appearances were thanks to photo and video editing apps.
They hoped that knowledge would help other women trying to meet such unrealistic expectations come to terms with their bodies as it helped them.
LOVATO ENCOURAGES PEOPLE TO DESIST FROM COMMENTING ON WEIGHT LOSS
While struggling with their own body issues, Lovato remains vocal in their advocacy for others dealing with similar issues. One way they do that is by encouraging netizens to desist from commenting on people’s weight, as they could be secretly battling an eating disorder.
It didn’t matter if such comments focused on one’s weight loss or weight gain. They had the same detrimental effect in the long run.
In the lengthy Instagram post from 2021, Demi Lovato also pointed out that even a subtle comment with pure intentions could keep someone awake during late hours, overthinking the implications.
After evolving from a toddler battling body image issues, to a 28-year-old woman confident in their skin, Demi Lovato has indeed pushed forward in their quest for self-acceptance and body positivity.