Demi Lovato Says She's Still Not 'Fully Healed' From Eating Disorder: 'A Battle for the Rest of My Life'

Demi Lovato got real about where she stands with her eating disorder recovery, sharing that the battle may never be over.

The Grammy-nominated singer appeared on the Wednesday, October 14, episode of the "Street You Grew Up On" podcast, where she reflected on her history with disordered eating.

"I've been to treatment several times," she told host Kerry Washington. "I can say that today, I'm not in a place where I look at myself as fully healed. I don't think that that's something that I even think about striving towards because it doesn't seem realistic. I think that food is going to be a battle for the rest of my life, but it's a manageable battle."

"It's something that I have found freedom in with cooking, with my body image," Lovato said. "Some days I don't love my body, but there are days where I accept it. I would say I live in a place of acceptance now, where I don't look in the mirror and berate myself for having curves."

The 34-year-old has been open in the past about her yearslong battle with body image and disordered eating. She checked into an inpatient treatment facility at age 18 to deal with "physical and emotional issues," including bulimia.

Despite Lovato's recovery efforts, her struggles continued. In 2020, the pop star shared in a separate interview with Ashley Graham that their eating disorder had become a fixation on "extreme dieting" and over-exercising. Lovato said the health issue contributed to their 2018 relapse and overdose.

The Disney Channel alum also discussed her recent It's Not That Deep tour, which ended in May after about 20 shows, sharing that it was "a huge lesson."

"I had put on a little weight before the tour, and I was stressed. I was like, 'I don't want to go onstage. I'm terrified. People are going to say things. They're going to write online,'" Lovato told Washington. "I went onstage anyways. No one turned around. No one got up out of their seats and said, '[They're] not a size 0.' They still loved me and cried tears of joy when I sang for them. I was like, 'That's a huge lesson for me.'"

Lovato added she's "really proud of how far I've come in my journey with my eating disorder recovery," even with the ups and downs of healing.

"I'm 34. My worth isn't in my body," Lovato said. "My husband doesn't love me because of my body. My family doesn't love me because of my body. I'm not sitting in this chair because of my body. I am beautiful as I am, but most importantly, I am a good human and that's what I hold true to my heart."