Bollywood star Jacqueline Fernandez has opened up on her complex relationship with food during her early 20s. In the first episode of Shape of You, Jacqueline spoke to Shilpa Shetty Kundra about her pageant days and about not knowing how to deal with the pressures of being on an international platform.
The actor’s account of “food being the enemy” is characteristic of those dealing with eating disorders. Here’s what Jacqueline had to say about it.
Video credit: Instagram/theshilpashetty
On dealing with the pressure of being on camera at a young age
In conversation with Shilpa during the first episode of the wellness chat show, Shape of You, Jacqueline talked about everything from her fitness regime to her eating habits. Shilpa then asked her if she changes her food habits under stress. Jacqueline recounted that food had become her biggest enemy during her early 20s.
“In my 20s, I did go through quite a lot of eating issues. A lot. It happened because of my pageant days, I did not realise then but to be appearing on an international platform at the age of 19 (had its own pressures). That is when the pressure really got to me, I did not know how to handle it. Food became the enemy. That then continued in my 20s and continued (when I became an actor) being in front of the camera,” said Jacqueline.
Image credit: Instagram/jacquelinef143
Jacqueline says she slowly overcame it and that made her stronger
Jacqueline shared that it was horrible to the extent where she’d punish herself for eating.
She said, “Like (I would worry about) how I am going to look in front of the camera. It was like you would punish yourself for eating. But, I was blessed that I was able to overcome it. Slowly, it took time. There would be times when I would be ok for months and then something would happen, and I would go back into the habit. I was quite horrible actually, but it was definitely something that made me stronger and much more aware of food.”
Image credit: Instagram/jacquelinef143
Dealing with eating disorders can bring a lot of agony to the individual and does not only affect the physical health but takes a major toll one’s the mental health as well. And since eating disorders have a lot to do with ‘how we look’, it’s high time we start prioritising our inner well-being over external validation.
On the work front, Jacqueline was last seen in the movie Bhoot Police. She’s currently on a promotional spree for her upcoming films, Attack and Bachchhan Paandey.
Lead image credit: Instagram/jacquelinef143, Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment
