From the outset, many of us will have expected Victoria Beckham’s eponymous Netflix docuseries to share new insights into her life and true character behind closed doors. However, the level of honesty and openness far surpassed anything we could have anticipated.
Her bravery in talking about her struggles with an eating disorder and constant criticism of her weight was especially poignant and deserves to be applauded. This marked the first time that Victoria Beckham has ever publicly discussed this deeply personal subject.
She said she began to "doubt herself" and described the appalling moment she was weighed on TV six months after welcoming her first child in 1999.
"I was weighed on national television when Brooklyn was 6 months old. Get on those scales on TV - have you lost the weight? And we laugh and joke about it on TV but I was really, really young and that hurts," she shared.
David Beckham went on to tell viewers how at that time people "felt it was ok to criticise a woman for her weight" and because of all the comments she received, Victoria admitted she "really started to doubt [herself] and not like [herself]".
She went on, "I didn’t know what I saw when I looked in the mirror, was I fat, was I thin? I don’t know, you lose all sense of reality. I was just very critical of myself, I didn’t like what I saw. I’ve been everything from porky posh to skinny posh, I mean, you know, it’s been a lot. And that's hard. I had no control over what was being written about me, pictures that were being taken and I suppose I wanted to control that."
Victoria shared she could "control it with the clothing" and "control [her] weight" too.
"When you have an eating disorder, you become very good at lying, and I was never honest about it with my parents, I never talked about it publicly. It really affects you when you’re being told constantly you’re not good enough, and I suppose that’s been with me my whole life," she said.
The thought that she was "never honest" about her eating disorder with her own parents hits home hard. There is unfortunately still a huge amount of shame and stigma that all-too-often surrounds them and leaves people feeling unable to reach out or confide in even their loved ones.
"Eating disorders, while unfortunately all too common, are often very secretive illnesses. It’s common for people to hide them for a variety of reasons: shame, stigma or they may simply not realise they’re unwell. However, it’s incredibly important that they do speak out - recovery is always possible, and getting the right treatment as quickly as possible gives them the best chance at it,” says Tom Quinn, Beat’s Director of External Affairs.
He explains, "The more people in the public eye who open up about their experiences, the better. It can really help to break the stigma and encourage people to seek treatment for their illness. If you’re worried about yourself or a loved one, please visit your GP as soon as possible. Beat’s Helpline is open 3-8pm every weekday and our website is full of helpful resources."
Now, with someone as high-profile as Victoria Beckham speaking out so candidly about her own experience, perhaps it will help to open up more conversations, encourage others and promote more understanding and awareness.
If you’re worried about your own or someone else’s health, you can contact BEAT, the UK’s eating disorder charity, on their helpline on 0808 801 0677 or visit beateatingdisorders.org.uk.
