'American Idol' Alum Opens Up About Eating Disorder

Country music performer Lauren Alaina is opening up about what it was like to battle an eating disorder while she was competing in the tenth season of American Idol.

While speaking to Hannah Brown on her "Better Tomorrow" podcast, Alaina, now 28, revealed that her condition dated back to high school. "I started having problems with [an] eating disorder in middle school and then in 10th grade, I go on American Idol. And I was in my very awkward, chubby phase," she said.

Related: Remember When! See Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood and Every American Idol Winners' First Auditions

Alaina went on to add that of all the people who criticized her at the time, her own classmates at school were the harshest. "I was always confident on the stage, the one thing I wasn’t confident [about] was my weight, probably like my whole life," she said. "Well, not my whole life, but starting in eighth grade-ish, because I became a cheerleader, and I was a softball player before that, and so I was not built the same."

Despite the fact that Alaina was only 16 at the time, a lot of viewers felt it was OK to comment on her appearance, too. That was tough on her, as it would be on many teenagers (and even adults!). In hindsight, Alaina remains confused as to why anyone thought such talk was acceptable.

"People commented a lot on my weight. … What kind of evil humans can comment on a 16-year-old child is beyond me now," she said. "But as that 16-year-old child, it got very bad for a while. I suffered with such a severe eating disorder in those years where nothing was connecting, it wasn’t only because [I needed] to work hard. I lost who I was completely. Everything, my light...it was dimmed quite a bit because of the TV aspect."

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Not all of the feedback she received was devastating, but the inconsistency only made for a more jarring experience. "It was an extreme high and an extreme low and I got sick," she said. "I struggled very, very bad with bulimia for a very long time. In fact when I was going on Dancing with the Stars [in 2019], I had been in remission for years at that point. And something about knowing I was going back on national television, I had to start going to therapy for it again."

Related: It's Time to Talk—75 Quotes About Eating Disorders To Help Educate and Give Hope

These days, the singer is back in the game, focused on her career and recording new music. Which means fans have plenty to look forward to.

Be sure to consult a mental health expert or doctor if you're worried about disordered eating in yourself or someone else, and check out the National Eating Disorders Association for more information and resources. 

Next, Disordered Eating Comes In Many Forms—Here Are the Different Types, and the Signs to Look Out For