Actress Camila Mendes (28) got her big break after securing the role of Veronica Lodge in the Netflix hit “Riverdale”, but when she saw herself on the screen, uncertainty took over.
In a recent episode of the podcast “Going Mental with Eileen Kelly” Mendes reveals that the “Riverdale” success awakened many bad feelings that the young star had previously struggled with, writes US Magazine.
– I watched every episode and thought: “My God, look at my stomach there”. I was so insecure, so it (seeing myself) really fed my eating disorder,” Mendes tells podcast host Eileen Kelly.
– The eating disorder returned
In the podcast episode, Mendes explains that it was not the first time she had to deal with an eating disorder.
– I have had it at several points in my life. One toward the end of my senior year in high school, then it came back again in college, and then again during the first season of “Riverdale.” It’s probably because the body changes a lot in the early 20s. My body had fallen completely into place yet. Seeing myself, I began to poke at all the parts; my stomach, my arms, my chin – whatever. I became completely obsessed, explains Mendes.
ONGOING STRUGGLE: In the podcast Going Mental with Eileen Kelly, Camila Mendes says that eating disorders have been a constant struggle in her life. Photo: Arturo Holmes
The “Riverdale” star has played one of the main roles in the popular Netflix series since 2017. Furthermore, she explains that the eating disorder also affected her work on the “Riverdale” set.
– It really fucks with your process and your ability to be able to show emotions and be authentic, says the Netflix star.
Got professional help
Mendes also admits that she developed a kind of fear of carbohydrates and avoided that type of food for long periods. The star then says she fell into a cycle of overeating, then throwing up.
The Riverdale actor says that she recently received help to overcome her fear of certain types of food, and got on the road to recovery with the help of a nutritionist.
– She (the nutrition specialist) helped me get over my fear by, among other things, adding bread to my diet again. “Look, it’s not going to kill you,” she said, Mendes recounts.
Talking about the body
This is not the first time Mendes has opened up about his body image and mental health in the media. In an interview with US Magazine in 2018 the actress revealed that she was done with diets after making a choice to put her health before everything else.
Mendes has recently also spoken out about other family members who have also struggled with eating disorders, and has been active in the American organization Project Heal which contributes financial support to people who cannot afford to seek treatment for eating disorders on their own.
