- Sam Heughan has opened up about his experience with a “low-level” eating disorder in a new interview.
- The experience is also detailed in the 42-year-old’s new memoir, Waypoints: my trip to Scotland.
- He wants to shed light on the subject because he believes it is taboo to discuss it as a man.
The trials Sam Heughan the faces are not necessarily the militant battles led by its Stranger character, Jamie Fraser, but the actor has certainly faced his own demons. In a new interview with Todayhe explained how his book, Waypoints: my trip to Scotlanddetails his experience with a “low-functioning” eating disorder and how he hopes to raise awareness of the body image expectations placed on men in Hollywood.
“I think, you know, as a young actor, quite a newbie, without really a lot of experience, there were a lot of pressures early on in the industry that I didn’t really understand,” the man explained. 42 years old. “I think there was a certain body type we were supposed to have.”
He went on to add that the subject seems taboo to discuss as a man and that he hopes it will change.
“I think women talk about it a lot. A lot of actresses have spoken about the pressures they face, but I don’t think men do, that’s why I wanted to mention it (in the book),” he said.
Today host Sheinelle Jones thanked him for sharing so openly. And many viewers had a similar reaction.
“I’m glad Sam opened up about his eating disorder. A lot of people don’t realize that men suffer from it too,” one person commented on YouTube. “I like that you shed light on the fact that men feel the pressure to look a certain way in your industry just as much as women do,” said another. tweeted. “It’s something we don’t talk about a lot.”
“Congratulations on your open-mindedness,” added another.
Heughan was able to turn his negative experience into a positive one by channeling it into the launch of his fitness charity, My peak challenge, which inspires others to adopt a healthy lifestyle, and has raised funds for a variety of causes ranging from fighting hunger to cancer research. At its core, the organization’s mission is to provide access to information so that other people hopefully “don’t face the same pressures,” he said. Today.
In addition to reflecting on Hughan’s past, Waypoints recounts his 96-mile solo hike through Scotland’s West Highland Way, which tested his strength and resilience. “I had a hard time. I almost gave up,” he told public radio WBUR. Here Now in October. “I found myself lost on the edge of Loch Lomond in the dark. And it wasn’t until I really slowed down and enjoyed the journey that I began to appreciate the trail itself.
If you think you may have an eating disorder and need support, call National Eating Disorders Association Helpline at (800) 931-2237. You can text HOME to 741741 to send a message to a trained crisis counselor at Crisis Text Line free.
Kayla Blanton is a freelance writer-editor who covers health, nutrition and lifestyle topics for various publications, including Prevention, Everyday health, SELF, People, and more. She’s always open to conversations about stocking up on tasty foods, breaking beauty standards, and finding new, gentle ways to care for our bodies. She earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Ohio University with a concentration in women’s studies, gender, sexuality and public health. She was born and raised in the Midwest and lives in Cincinnati, Ohio with her husband and two spoiled kittens.
