I Thought Orange Juice Would Make Me Fat, Says Demi Lovato

After completing her stay at a rehabilitation facility, Demi Lovato promised fans she would hold nothing back about the reasons she sought help there. In a new interview, she reveals the depth of her obsession with weight.

Catapulted to international fame from a very young age, Demi soon discovered that she couldn’t handle the pressure of being in the spotlight 24/7 and, most importantly, of fitting the mold of Disney star.

She became a cutter to cope with stress and developed an eating disorder. By the time she had her very public and embarrassing meltdown, she was a mess, she says in a new interview with Parade magazine.

At one point, when she was binging five times a day and then making herself sick, she became so obsessed with her weight that she thought that even orange juice could make her fat.

“I think at the worst it was a little more than that. I was just so sick. I thought that orange juice was going to make me fat,” she says.

She’s happy she had to be publicly humiliated (she punched a friend and backup dancer on a plane and it all got out in the press) because, this way, she realized she’d hit rock bottom and desperately needed help.

Of her decision to share her personal struggle with the world, she says she’s doing it thinking of other teens dealing with similar problems, who are afraid of speaking out and asking for help, just as she was.

“I just realized that once I went into the treatment center, pretty much anything and everything was going to come out anyway. At the same time, I wanted to help other people who shared my issues,” she says.

Fans’ reaction has been amazing, with Demi crediting them for her hasty recovery. However, knowing she helped other kids deal with their problems is just as important, she stresses.

“I’ve been getting really great responses. Some of my fans have said that because I’ve been able to speak about my issues, that they’re not afraid to speak about theirs, which is an amazing feeling,” Demi explains.