Problems around food and mental health (and how the two can interlink) sadly impact many people, and Lily Allen has candidly opened up about her own 'issues with eating' on a new episode of her and Miquita Oliver's podcast, Miss Me?.
Sharing that she feels disconnected from her body and that she has "stopped eating" recently, Lily was incredibly honest and thankfully said she's starting to work through these issues with the help of her therapist.
"I've been going through a tough time over the last few months and my eating has become a real issue. My therapist and I talk about it and she says, 'How long has this been going on?' And I said, 'Well, about three years really.' And she's like, 'OK, why haven't you mentioned it before?'," Lily explained while opening up to her friend.
She added that she hasn't kept quiet about her struggles intentionally, but is only just giving herself the space to work on them now.
"It's not because I'm lying about it. It's just because it hasn't seemed at the top of the list of important things that I need to talk about, but obviously it is," Lily shared, before questioning whether or not her ADHD could also have played a part in her not opening up about her food-related issues before.
"I know a lot of people feel those two things are very connected to each other, but for me it's very different," she continued. "I spend a lot of time in my head, and not a lot of time thinking about my body. I'm really not in a great place mentally at the moment, and I'm not eating. But I'm not hungry. I obviously am hungry, but my body and brain are so disconnected from each other that my body… the messages of hunger are not going from my body to my brain."
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Lily said she's not deliberately "avoiding food" but just hasn't been thinking "about it because I'm so in my head. My body's, like, a few steps behind me".
It's really powerful that Lily is speaking honestly about an issue that no doubt some of her listeners will be able to relate to. If you're also struggling with your mental health and/or relationship with food, remember that help is out there – please do contact one of the support services mentioned below, or your GP. Opening up to a trusted friend or family member can also be a positive step.
If you’re worried about your own or someone else’s relationship with food, you can contact Beat, the UK’s eating disorder charity, 365 days a year on 0808 801 0677 or beateatingdisorders.org.uk.
Further advice and information on looking after your mental health can be found at Mind. You can call the helpline Monday to Friday, between 9 and 6pm, on 0300 123 3393, or even send an email to info@mind.org.uk.
Jennifer Savin is Cosmopolitan UK's multiple award-winning Features Editor, who was crowned Digital Journalist of the Year for her work tackling the issues most important to young women. She regularly covers breaking news, cultural trends, health, the royals and more, using her esteemed connections to access the best experts along the way. She's grilled everyone from high-profile politicians to A-list celebrities, and has sensitively interviewed hundreds of people about their real life stories. In addition to this, Jennifer is widely known for her own undercover investigations and campaign work, which includes successfully petitioning the government for change around topics like abortion rights and image-based sexual abuse. Jennifer is also a published author, documentary consultant (helping to create BBC’s Deepfake Porn: Could You Be Next?) and a patron for Y.E.S. (a youth services charity). Alongside Cosmopolitan, Jennifer has written for The Times, Women’s Health, ELLE and numerous other publications, appeared on podcasts, and spoken on (and hosted) panels for the Women of the World Festival, the University of Manchester and more. In her spare time, Jennifer is a big fan of lipstick, leopard print and over-ordering at dinner. Follow Jennifer on Instagram, X or LinkedIn.
