Nearly three decades on from Princess Diana's untimely death , her former dance teacher Anne Allan has opened up about the royal's battle with bulimia in her new book.
In an extract from her new book Dancing With Diana, Allan recounted how the late Princess of Wales confided in her about her struggle with bulimia. "Her head dropped and, unable to look me in the eye, she said, 'I am so ashamed, Anne, but I need to tell you that I suffer from bulimia,'" Allan wrote.
She added: "Her shame was evidently painful for her." Allan says Diana apologized repeatedly for not sharing her struggles earlier as she revealed how the disorder had been gradually taking over her life.
"Diana explained that her bulimia had started when she had started attending important functions, particularly dinners where she had to sit down to eat," Allan recalled. "Meeting so many people was terrifying to her and the feeling that she was being judged with every move she made or how she looked or what she said caused her to feel totally inadequate."
In the extract, which was featured in People Magazine , Allan said she encouraged her friend to try and understand the disease. Diana first acknowledged her battle with bulimia in 1992, during recordings for Andrew Morton's explosive biography about her life.
The Princess said: "The bulimia started the week after we got engaged and would take nearly a decade to overcome. My husband put his hand on my waistline and said: 'Oh, a bit chubby here, aren't we?' and that triggered off something in me - and the Camilla thing."
It wasn't until three years later that Diana publicly admitted her battle with an eating disorder during a frank 1995 interview on BBC's Panorama. "I had bulimia for a number of years. And that's like a secret disease," she revealed.
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"You inflict it upon yourself because your self-esteem is at a low ebb, and you don't think you're worthy or valuable. You fill your stomach up four or five times a day-some do it more - and it gives you a feeling of comfort. It's like having a pair of arms around you, but it's temporarily, temporary. Then you're disgusted at the bloatedness of your stomach, and then you bring it all up again."
Throughout her extended struggle with the condition, Diana chose not to inform the Royal Family due to feelings of embarrassment. "You have to know that when you have bulimia you're very ashamed of yourself and you hate yourself - and people think you're wasting food - so you don't discuss it with people," Diana clarified.
"The thing about bulimia is your weight always stays the same, whereas with anorexia you visibly shrink. So you can pretend the whole way through. There's no proof."
If you or someone you know is struggling with body image or eating concerns, the National Eating Disorders Association's toll-free and confidential helpline is available by phone or text at 1-800-931-2237 or by click-to-chat message at nationaleatingdisorders.org/helpline . For 24/7 crisis situations, text "NEDA" to 741-741.
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