Comedian Whitney Cummings revealed in her newly released memoir that she struggled with an eating disorder for years.
The stand-up comedian, co-creator and co-writer of the CBS comedy “2 Broke Girls” wrote her first memoir titled “I’m Fine … And Other Lies.” In it, she discusses the mistakes she made in her life and the years she battled an eating disorder.
The comedian wrote from ages 14 to 18 her diet consisted of “rice cakes, apples and nonfat yogurt,” People reported.
“I became irrationally terrified of fat,” Cummings wrote.
The writer said she became “alarmingly thin … I looked like the shadow of Jared Leto” and her hair started falling out, but she could not stop her weight obsession.
“It was as if I were looking in a funhouse mirror that makes your hips comically large. I literally could not see myself how others did,” Cummings wrote.
After she moved to Los Angeles at age 19, her eating disorder continued but she started binge-eating.
“Binge eating disorder is a severe, life-threatening and treatable eating disorder characterized by recurrent episodes of eating large quantities of food (often very quickly and to the point of discomfort); a feeling of a loss of control during the binge; experiencing shame, distress or guilt afterwards; and regularly using unhealthy compensatory measures (e.g., purging) to counter the binge eating,” the National Eating Disorder Association describes on its website.
AP
Cummings said she would find herself covered in wrappers when she woke up because she would eat in her sleep.
“Sometimes I was even sticky from whatever weird sauce I blindly poured down my throat,” Cummings wrote.
The comedian said she was able to conquer her disorder with the help of her friends. Cummings said her eating disorder derived from her low self-confidence. She still has trouble with food some times but hopes her experience will help others.
“The other good news about my overcoming an eating disorder and putting some weight on is that it makes you look about ten years younger,” Cummings wrote. “People keep asking me if I’ve gotten a facelift and I’m like, ‘Nope, just got that extra side of guac.’”
Cummings’ next project is the HBO comedy “A Lot” which she will star in and executive produce.
If you or a loved one are in need of support, resources or treatment options, please contact the National Eating Disorders Association Helpline at (800) 931-2237.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
