Amy Winehouse’s Struggle with Bulimia Nervosa
Saying that there is an unhealthy expectation in our culture when it comes to weight and female celebrities is an understatement. Disordered eating is so normalized in our society that few people acknowledge the gravity of the disease unless they’ve experienced it first hand. The documentary Amy, which won the Documentary Feature Oscar Sunday night, skims the surface on the subject of disordered eating in female Hollywood and its role in the life and death of famous singer-songwriter Amy Winehouse. Unfortunately, it’s still a far cry away from bringing to light the gigantic reality of Winehouse’s probable battle with bulimia nervosa. As well documented as Winehouse’s struggles with alcohol and drug addiction were, the possibility of her untreated eating disorder was rarely mentioned. Her thin frame and swollen face were perpetually mocked in the media, but they were always attributed to drug and alcohol addiction. But the documentary does reveal how Winehouse struggled with disordered eating habits from a young age. The singer’s mother recounts the moment a young Amy tells her about a new “diet” she’s discovered – eating and then vomiting, which allows her to eat without gaining weight. Amy’s mother says she essentially ignored the statement, attributing it to a phase that she would grow out of. Amy’s father also dismisses the mention of her eating disorder when it’s brought to his attention.
The Contributing Factors for Eating Disorders There is not just one cause of an eating disorder. Multiple factors are involved, including genetics, metabolism, psychological issues such as trauma, personality and coping skills, and mood disorders like anxiety, PTSD, OCD and most commonly, depression. According to the National Eating Disorder Association, "substance abuse can develop before, during, or after treatment for an eating disorder," and that reliance on drugs and alcohol is "both ineffective and counterproductive in that emotions remain unaddressed, problems go unresolved, and healthy strategies to cope are not developed." A person with bulimia nervosa can carry on bingeing and purging for a long time while otherwise maintaining a high level of functionality. The same goes for those with anorexia nervosa, binge eating disorder and purging disorder. An eating disorder can be masked in the way its sufferers are typically able to tend to the demands of relationships and daily life. This makes it easy for friends, family members and peers to overlook the disease, as the footage and interviews in Amy make clear.