Hilary Duff Says She "Regrets" Her Teenage Eating Disorder

With the reboot of the hit Disney show Lizzie McGuire scheduled to premiere on Disney+ very soon, fans can't help but reminisce about the show's main character, Lizzie McGuire, who is portrayed by Hilary Duff. She was just 15 years old when the show came to a close in 2004, so, what has she been up to since then? For starters, she had a few tough years after the show ended, as she battled an eating disorder when she was just 17. Scroll down for everything she's ever said about it.

At the time, Hilary's eating disorder sort of went under the radar, but she's opened up about it on more than one occasion years later. When speaking about snapping back into her post-baby body after welcoming son, Luca, in 2012, she confessed to Health: "Oh my God, everyone was so hard on me because it took me a year and a half to get my body back! When I was 17, I weighed, like, 98 pounds."

"I was totally obsessed with everything I put in my mouth. I was way too skinny," she revealed. "Not cute. And my body wasn't that healthy —my hands would cramp up a lot because I wasn't getting the nutrition I needed. That constant pressure of wanting something different than I had? I regret that."   

In a 2010 interview with Perez Hilton, she elaborated on it even more. "I got pretty skinny when I was between 17 and 19. I don't know what exactly made me get on that kick, but at the time I was starting to become aware of what people said about me and how I looked in pictures," Hilary shared. "I literally ate nothing but steamed vegetables and broiled or grilled chicken, with nothing else." 

She added: "I was touring at the time, traveling everywhere, and I felt so run down. Not giving your body enough of what it needs is really dangerous. I regret it because I don't think I was happy then."

Today, as a mom of two, Hilary prides herself on a healthy lifestyle as she balances a relationship, children, and a busy acting career. In fact, she now follows the well-known macro diet.

"Every time I've dieted before and cut carbs and sugar, there's been such a daunting feeling of 'I'm being deprived, I'm being deprived.' I'm a really balanced person, and I like to have freedom," she told mindbodygreen in October 2019.

"With the macros it's cool because I haven't had to cut anything out that I love. It's just about making sure my body is getting the right amount of protein and fat and carbohydrates — and then I get to choose what those are," Hilary added.

And at 32 years old, and just one year after the birth of her daughter, Banks, she feels better than ever as her days with an eating disorder are long behind her. "I am really being healthy right now, and for the first time in my life, I am actually really enjoying it," she exclaimed. You go, Hilary!

If you or someone you know is struggling with an eating disorder, call the National Eating Disorders Association Helpline at 1-800-931-2237.