Celebrities who battled eating disorders

Actress Lucy Hale, 23, of "Pretty Little Liars" fame told Cosmopolitan in its September issue that she used to have an eating disorder. In the magazine, Hale says, "I've never really talked about this, but I would go days without eating. Or maybe I'd have some fruit, and then go to the gym for three hours."

Lady Gaga revealed to a women's conference in California that overcoming bulimia saved her voice. Gaga, born Stefani Germanotta, said she purged so often that the acid was eating away at her vocal cords. "I wanted to be a skinny little ballerina, but I was a voluptuous little Italian girl whose dad had meatballs on the table every night," she told The Sun. "I used to come home and say, 'Dad, why do you always give us this food? I need to be thin.' And he'd say, 'Eat your spaghetti.'" She added that girls need to stop the "dieting wars." (Reuters)

Princess Diana In 1992, Andrew Morton revealed in the book, “Diana: Her True Story,” that the Princess of Wales suffered from bulimia. After the news became public, there was an increase in the number of bulimia diagnoses, as many people felt more comfortable admitting their problem. This became known as the “Diana Effect.” (AP1997)

Elton John Singer/songwriter Elton John is no stranger to addiction – he suffered a drug overdose in 1975. A good friend of Princess Diana, John admitted to Larry King in 2002 that he too, was a bulimic. (AP2009)

Jessica Alba Actress Jessica Alba told Glamour Magazine, “A lot of girls have an eating disorder, and I did too. I got obsessed with it. When I went from a girl’s body to a woman’s body with natural fat in places, I freaked out.” Alba said she became obsessed with exercise, and dropped to 100 pounds. Today, as a mother, Alba maintains a healthier lifestyle. (�?© www.splashnews.com)

Mary-Kate Olsen Actress Mary-Kate Olsen, best known for her performance as Michelle on “Full House,” entered treatment for an eating disorder in 2004, USA Today reported. Mary Kate “made a very courageous, precautionary decision,” said Olsen’s publicist Michael Pagnotta, at the time. “Mary-Kate is taking charge in making this decision. She wants to be healthy.”

Nicole Richie In 2006, Nicole Richie decided to undergo treatment for her low-weight after much discussion with her father, Lionel Richie, according to People Magazine. “I’m focusing on my health right now,” Richie told the magazine, “and getting the help I need, like anybody else would.” (© www.splashnews.com)

Ashlee Simpson Singer Ashlee Simpson revealed to Cosmopolitan Magazine that she had a “minor” eating disorder when she was 11 and taking ballet classes. Simpson said she weighed only 70 pounds and was 5 feet, 2 inches tall. “My parents stepped in and made me eat,” Simpson said. “(It) was about six months of not eating too much at all.” (X17online.com)

Jamie-Lynn Sigler “It was hard for me to even recognize who I was,” Jamie-Lynn Sigler told People Magazine about her eating disorder. “My reality was so warped. . . I knew I had a problem and wanted to get better, but I was not able to let go of my habit.” The former “Sopranos” star said she remembers her father begging her to eat a piece of cake at one family meal. "I remember rationalizing that if I had that one piece of dessert, the next morning I would wake up and weigh 400 pounds," she said. "It sounds so wild, but for me it was true." (2010 Bennett Raglin)

Karen Carpenter Singer Karen Carpenter, one-half of the music group The Carpenters, died at age 32 in 1983 from heart failure, which was attributed to her anorexia. It is said that celebrities like Princess Diana and Tracey Gold decided to go public with their own eating disorders because of what happened to Carpenter.

Paula Abdul Former "American Idol" judge and singer Paula Abdul admitted she had bulimia in 1992 and checked herself into rehab.

Calista Flockhart Actress Calista Flockhart said she had anorexia while taping the hit show “Ally McBeal.” "At the time of all that, I was seriously stressed. I was working 15-hour days on the set and then I was dealing with the end of the show, which was basically my life. I started under-eating, over-exercising, pushing myself too hard and brutalizing my immune system. I guess I just didn't find time to eat.”

Candace Cameron-Bure Like her TV sister, Mary-Kate Olsen, Candace Cameron-Bure had an eating disorder. Famous for playing D.J. Tanner on “Full House,” Cameron-Bure said she never had a problem during the show’s taping; instead, she developed a problem after marrying hockey player Valeri Bure. "It was a brand-new type of life for me, and as my husband would be on the road playing hockey there was lots of nights that I would just sit in front of my television alone," Cameron-Bure told “Entertainment Tonight.” "I just started to overeat," she said.

Jane Fonda Fitness guru and actress Jane Fonda talks about her struggle with bulimia and anorexia since the age of 12 in her autobiography "My Life So Far."