PHOTOS‘The Real’ Host Jeannie Mai Admits She Was ‘Abusing’ Herself During Eating Disorder
Feb. 15 2019, Updated 5:25 p.m. ET
Jeannie Mai debuted the first episode of her web series Hello Hunnay on February 14. The Real co-host opened up about her years-long eating disorder and the abuse she suffered as a result.
Jeannie, 40, told viewers, “I was low-key abusing myself. The idea of being skinny became something that was most appealing to me.”
She also revealed that during her time as co-host of The Real she was struggling with the disorder. “Even if you watch The Real, from Season 1 to Season 4, I was always 100 pounds. I started to really work hard to stay petite and to not gain weight and to stay sample size,” she said.
Jeannie admitted she only realized she had a problem once she looked at a photo of herself and saw she had “pointy” knees and shoulders. She told her fans, “I have no problem with people being skinnier, that’s not what I’m pointing out. To me, I looked weak. I like to look at myself as a strong, resilient, capable woman and that’s not who I saw in that picture.”
She continued, “I realized that I had an eating disorder in which I controlled myself to a point that I would not let myself enjoy what I wanted to eat or eat what I needed to eat, all to stay a certain size.”
This isn’t the first time Jeannie has been so candid about her eating disorder. In May 2018 she posted a before-and-after photo wearing the same dress with noticeable changes in her body. Her caption read in part, “I realize that I’ve been through so much s**t mentally and emotionally, why the hell should my body be forced to suffer (from my over controlling ways) too?”
What do you think about Jeannie opening up about her eating disorder struggle? Let us know in the comments below.
