Perhaps the most famous thing about bulimia is that it was the princess Diana eating disorder. According to doctors and therapists, princess Diana’s secret battle has led to a greater public awareness of the disorder, and a better understanding of bulimia.

The ‘Diana Effect’

Bulimia was revealed as Diana’s “secret disease” in 1992 in Andrew Morton’s book, Diana: Her True Story. In the book, Diana explains how she first struggled with bulimia in 1981, and was still suffering from it during the late ‘80s when she sought treatment.

During the mid- and late-1990s, after this news became public, there was a sharp incline in the number of bulimia cases. Some people quickly speculated that the news of the princess Diana eating disorder was causing more cases of bulimia to occur. However, another fact was soon revealed: it was because of princess Diana’s admission of her struggle with food that many people, about 90% of them women, were able to come forward and admit that they, too, had an eating disorder.

Because of Princess Diana’s courage to combat her eating disorder, many other people have found it in themselves to confront their problem and seek treatment. This movement has come to be known as the ‘Diana Effect.’

Causes of the princess Diana eating disorder:

• Princess Diana admitted that she began to follow a strict diet after people made comments on TV and in magazines about her “pudgy” appearance. Once she started dieting, she couldn’t stop.

• Her eating problems were further exacerbated when her marriage underwent great upheaval, and food became the answer to the emptiness she felt.

How a Princess helped us understand bulimia

Due to Diana’s openness and willingness to communicate, we have a better understanding of the princess Diana eating disorder, bulimia. Here are some of the lessons that we can learn from Diana‘s public confessions about her problems with eating and food:

• That bulimia can be the response to great pressure in one’s life, especially for those with perfectionist tendencies and expectations.

• An eating disorder is often a cry for help or a plea for attention; a person with bulimia, the princess Diana eating disorder, often needs people to understand them, but does not know how to attract their attention in a positive way.

• Eating disorders often arise when a person does not like him- or herself; low self worth causes them to do things to injure themselves, such as bingeing on food and then purging it later.

• Overeating, or bingeing, can provide a sense of comfort when a person feels alone or helpless. The ensuing guilt and shame then often causes the person to try to get rid of the extra calories through vomiting, using laxatives or water pills, or excessive exercise.

A final thought about the princess Diana eating disorder

When Diana spoke about her bulimia, she wanted people to know that those with eating disorders are often misunderstood. While the media led people to believe that her bulimia was the problem, she asserted that bulimia was only a symptom, and that the true problem was the emptiness she felt in her marriage. She was using food as a way to fill her emptiness, and her eating disorder as an escape mechanism.

A princess for the people

Many eating disorders therapists credit Princess Diana’s bravery with saving the lives of many people who suffer from bulimia. Princess Diana allowed her personal battle with bulimia to become public, which is only one reason that she is so beloved and will continue to be influential, even after her death in 1997.

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