Jane Fonda shared more details about her really tough eating disorder recovery

Jane Fonda shared more details about her really tough eating disorder recovery

Jane Fonda opens up about her recovery from an eating disorder and what helped her change her unhealthy relationship with food.

The 84-year-old actress and activist recently appeared as a guest on an episode of Paramount Plus' The Checkup With Dr. David Agus. During the filmed interview, she shared that recovery from her eating disorder was "really hard," noting that it came at a time when there were fewer resources available to combat bulimia and anorexia, both of which she struggled with.

“These days I would probably go to a 12-step program or something,” she said. "But I didn't know what it was. I didn't know there was a name for it, and I didn't know there was anywhere to go. I'm talking about the 1960s, '50s."

Fonda developed an eating disorder as a teenager that continued into adulthood, she explained. She had a busy life when she decided she needed to stop her disordered eating. “I was married, I had children, I was politically active, I raised money, I was an actor, I made films,” she said. “I couldn't do everything because the older you get, the more it [an eating disorder] takes over you.”

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"If you eat and purge, it takes about three or four days to really recover," she continued. “And I just couldn’t do the lifestyle that I wanted to do.” That inspired her to work on her relationship with food, she said.

Fonda previously told People that she recovered from her bulimia by ending the cycle of bingeing and purging "cold turkey," admitting that it was "so hard." But doing her typical workouts was helpful for her, the Grace and Frankie star shared at the time. “It gave me back a sense of control over my body.”

For her, time also helped with the recovery process. "The more distance you put between yourself and the addiction, the easier it becomes," she previously told People. “Some people say you never get over it, but you can.”

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According to the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders, eating disorders affect at least nine percent of the population worldwide. About 10,200 deaths per year are the direct result of an eating disorder, but there are ways to get help.

Treatment typically includes physical recovery (returning to a normal weight if weight loss has been a problem) and normalizing a healthy diet, according to the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA). Behavioral restoration, which stops or dramatically reduces food restriction, excessive exercise, detoxification, and binge eating, as well as psychological therapy to address the cognitive and emotional aspects of the eating disorder, are also important elements of recovery, NEDA notes.

Fonda herself has said that it is important to understand that eating disorders are not about food. “It has to do with filling a hole,” she previously told People. “We are vessels that must be full of spirits… But there are other ways to fill them.”

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According to NEDA, recovery from eating disorders can be a long journey. It can last months and even years, with relapses and relapses being common. However, support from professionals, friends and family is usually helpful, the organization notes.

"I thought my life was worth improving, so I just decided to stop," Fonda said in her recent interview with Dr. Agus. "And it was really, really, really, really hard. The good news is that you can recover from eating disorders. 100 percent."

If you or someone you know is struggling with an eating disorder, NEDA's toll-free, confidential helpline (800-931-2237) is here to help.