Jameela Jamil shared one factor that contributed to her eating disorder as a teen, and it’s all too relatable
As an outspoken advocate for body positivity, Jameela Jamil is often vocal about the damaging effects impossible beauty standards have on young people. She has refused to be airbrushed for magazine covers, and she is never afraid to call out body-shaming when she sees it. She has also been open about her own body image issues, sharing her struggles with body dysmorphia and anorexia on BuzzFeed’s morning show AM to DM. Recently, she shared one of the factors that exacerbated her eating disorder as a teenager.
In an interview with People.com, published on August 1st, Jamil discussed her new partnership with Bumble BFF, a branch of the popular dating app that helps young women meet new friends. The Good Place star also talked about the loneliness she experienced as a teenager and how it contributed to her eating disorder.
"I was really unhappy and I think it contributed to my ability to have an eating disorder for so long, because there was no one kind of monitoring me and I had no one to turn to with my sadness and bad feelings, so I just had a really rough time as a teenager," she explained.
She added that she wishes there had been an app like Bumble BFF when she was going through this rough patch.
"I’m socially awkward, and there was no setup to help socially awkward people admit they were socially awkward and that they needed a little bit of a boost to find friends," she said. "And I love the idea of de-stigmatizing the feeling of loneliness. Everyone gets lonely from time to time."
Jamil added that she has gotten better at making friends since her teenage years, and she stressed the importance of cultivating friendships. She noted that a friend “is a witness to your life.”
"We go through a lot as a woman or just generally as a human, and having someone to share that with and having someone in your corner and tells you that you’re wrong when you doubt yourself is so unbelievable," she said. "I don’t think I would be the person that I am without my adult friendships and their love and support."
Inclusivity and community have been big parts of Jamil’s activism. Her body-positive Instagram account, @i_weigh, seeks to advocate for and promote marginalized groups.
Jamil’s experience with loneliness shows just how crucial it is to reach out to others. You never know who might be struggling. We’re thankful to Jamil for sharing her struggles and for her continuous advocacy.
