Kirsten Haglund was crowned Miss America in 2008. Shortly thereafter, she began speaking openly and honestly about her struggles with eating disorders. Her battle was triggered while she was at a youth ballet camp, where she felt all the other girls were skinnier and more talented than her. In an effort to keep up, she began limiting her food intake.
Haglund recently spoke about her experiences during an event that was sponsored by Montecatini, an eating disorder treatment program in Southern California.
At first, her strategy produced some success. She started to look like the other dancers. But slowly she fell behind: Essentially starving her body, she lost energy and muscle tissue.
"You start to see a positive effect, you see a glimmer of light, where you’ll finally feel totally in control, then you’ll finally be thin enough and finally be successful enough. It keeps you reaching for that, but it’s a lie. You’ll never get there." (Source: The Orange County Register)
Haglund eventually got help when her mother forced her to see a doctor. She was furious and didn’t want to go, but it was the necessary first step in her recovery, she said.
Posted By: Stefanie Hamilton
