'To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You' actor Jordan Fisher says he was diagnosed with an eating disorder he 'did not know' he had
Jordan Fisher revealed he was diagnosed with an eating disorder.
The To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You star, who is currently appearing in the Broadway revival of Sweeney Todd, shared the personal news during The Drew Barrymore Show Tuesday. He said that he was faced with the unexpected prognosis while his wife Ellie Woods was pregnant with the couple's first child.
"We were four months pregnant, five months pregnant. [I] always wanted to be a dad, knew that I was about to achieve that goal and take on the biggest and best project of my life with my partner and my best friend. And, um, I was diagnosed with an eating disorder that I did not know that I had," Fisher said. "I just knew that I had reflux and all of these things that were making it difficult for me to eat and didn’t realize that there were all of these traumas from my childhood that I needed to work through in therapy."
The actor went on to explain that he was in his "last couple months" of a work contract during "very, very difficult physical times for me," noting "I lost 30 pounds" as he embarked on recovery.
Elizabet Altunkara, Director of Education for National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) tells Yahoo Life that Fisher's inability to identify the disordered eating habits himself doesn't come as a surprise. In fact, the lack of awareness of eating disorders among males likely contributed to his unknowing.
"Due to the stereotype that eating disorders only affect women, men are less likely to recognize the signs, seek and receive help for their eating disorder," Altunkara explains. "We know that eating disorders don't discriminate and affect people of all genders, races, religions, ethnicities, sexual orientations, body size and shapes. About one in three people struggling with an eating disorder is male and subclinical disordered eating behaviors, such as binge eating, purging, and restricting, are nearly as common among men as they are among women."
Men speaking out about their personal experiences with eating disorders, like Fisher, can contribute to better awareness for others struggling. Fortunately for the actor, he is able to share his story from a more healed place.
"I’m so glad that I made it through that desert because here we are now," he said. "I’m so much stronger."
If you or someone you know is struggling with an eating disorder, call the National Eating Disorders Association hotline at 1-800-931-2237.
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