Breaking down the stereotype that it’s young girls who suffer from bulimia, Freddie Flintoff admitted he too suffers from the eating disorder. Then he made a documentary about it.
Starring in the BBC One documentary Freddie Flintoff on Bulimia, the 42-year-old shares his first-hand experience with the condition.
The 42-year-old sportsman wanted to explore what “it means to be a man with an eating disorder”.
Looking back on his life, he identifies 2001 – when he represented England in international cricket – as the year his troubles began.
Admitting to feeling intense pressure, Flintoff shared his “need” to maintain a slim physique.
Consequently, Freddie developed bulimia – a condition he hopes to shed light on.
He explained his decision on making the documentary by saying: “If this resonates with one person watching, or through this we can show someone that there is help out there, then this is worth doing.”
What is bulimia?
The mental health charity MIND explained that bulimia nervosa involves a see-saw between binging and purging.
A person with bulimia is likely to eat large amounts of food in one go (binging) when feeling upset or worried.
Following on from this, a feeling of guilt or shame appears and the desire to get rid of the food you’ve eaten intensifies (purging).
Negative thoughts, such as “I hate my body”, or “I’m fat” can underpin the condition.
The common cycle is to eat lots of food in one go (binge), feeling guilty, purging, feeling hungry and eating again – on repeat.
Purging can involve making yourself physically sick to remove the food, using laxative or exercising excessively.
People living with bulimia may be able to go undetected for a long while as their body weight tends to stay the same.
During binges, a person with the condition may eat unhealthy foods, or encourage themselves to starve between binges.
Reflecting back on his experience of the eating disorder, Freddie admitted to Hello! magazine what it would involve for him.
“I used to get drinks and kebabs, go home and make myself sick,” he revealed.
“I was getting results, hitting targets, so it was working, in theory.”
He continued: “When I told my wife, it was the first time I could talk about it.”
Charlotte Moore, Director of BBC Content, said: “I would like to thank Freddie for opening up about his struggle with bulimia in this very personal film for BBC One.
“I hope this film will raise awareness about a subject that is all too often a taboo and make a difference to the way men talk about mental health.”
If you or anybody you know would like support with bulimia, or any other eating disorders, do visit Mind.
The informative charity has lots of resources that can be beneficial for anybody suffering right now.
The current release date for Freddie’s documentary is yet to be released, however you can still catch the star on TV.
Freddie will be on Total Wipeout: Freddie & Paddy, 7:05pm on BBC One, Saturday August 29.
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