Jennifer Stone Opens Up About Battling Eating Disorders During Her Disney Years
The former “Wizards of Waverly Place” star also reflected on her journey from Disney Channel star to ER nurse.
Credit: “CHEERS! with Avery Woods”
Former “Wizards of Waverly Place” star Jennifer Stone is opening up about the eating disorders she battled as a teenager while growing up in the spotlight.
During an appearance on Unwell’s “CHEERS! with Avery Woods,” Jennifer reflected on the pressures of being a young actor during the late 2000s and early 2010s, revealing that her struggles with disordered eating began long before she joined the Disney Channel.
“When I was a kid, I struggled with eating disorders a lot,” Jennifer said. “That started for me when I was 11 and it went back and forth between restriction, over exercising and binging.”
Jennifer explained that those internal struggles became even more difficult during her time on the “Disney Channel Games,” when beauty standards for young women were especially unforgiving.
“I was 2010’s fat,” Jennifer said. “I looked back and I’m like, it’s so sad because I felt so huge and I wasn’t.”
She added that hearing outside criticism while already battling an eating disorder made it even harder to silence the negative voice in her head:
“To have that little voice in the back of your head reaffirmed by a ton of other louder voices outside of you is incredibly difficult.”
During the conversation, Jennifer reflected on her journey from Disney Channel star to ER nurse, sharing how her diagnosis with type 1 diabetes inspired her nursing career and gave her a new perspective on life. She also looked back on the Disney Channel Games, describing the experience as “high school on steroids” while sharing behind-the-scenes memories from filming alongside fellow Disney stars.
Watch the full episode of “Cheers with Avery” above or stream it on the SiriusXM app and all major podcast platforms.
