Freddie Flintoff reveals the eating disorder he has kept secret for over 20 years - BBC
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- Äas pĆidĂĄn 7. 10. 2020
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In this powerful and unflinching documentary, Andrew âFreddieâ Flintoff goes on an acutely personal journey into the eating disorder he has kept secret for over 20 years - bulimia.
Freddie reveals how bulimia has played a part in the course of his life. He discusses his experience in visceral detail and meets specialists and young men with eating disorders across the UK. Together they challenge, with incredible honesty and humility, some of the stereotypes that men and boys in their position face - that is, suffering with a serious mental health condition that is perceived to be something âonly girls getâ - and finally give a public voice to a much-misunderstood illness.
Experts estimate that over 1.5 million people in the UK have an eating disorder like bulimia, of which 25 per cent are male. And yet eating disorders are still considered to be illnesses that only teenage girls suffer with. As a result, boys and men with eating disorders most often live in silence with the double stigma of having a mental health condition that is not recognised in their gender.
Ultimately, Freddie must ask himself whether he needs professional treatment to tackle his eating disorder once and for all.
Freddie Flintoff: Living with Bulimia | BBC
#BBC #BBCFreddieFlintoff #BBCLivingWithBulimia #BBCiPlayer
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Iâm glad more men athletes and celebrities are speaking out about it. The less stigma there is, the more help people can get.
James Smith Real men arenât robots and shouldnât be shamed by idiots like yourself, bringing political bollocks into it, your obviously mind controlled by the people that think men should be emotionless and cold
Allison I agree with you
Brave. So brave. Ignorant people will not realize heâs actually saving lives.
What a an absolutely GORGEOUS man. No one would have ever known. Much respect to him for sharing.
Yes very brave so much stigma to eating disorders especially men and very hard to beat
I think this is dumb and detracts from reality of people who actually have a problem.
@@dickrichard626 he not lying
Nope. It was fuelled entirely by his own vanity. It is self induced. Itâs not a disease. There are people with actual diseases that arenât self inflicted that are brave and stunning who often donât make it and donât get a whine fest of pity on tv
Eating disorders and bulimia are very real across male athletes or just males in general. You would eat normally and workout well the whole day and all of the sudden you get a mind block during the night to just eat and you can't stop. When you finish you feel so guilty you just purge it out. Mentally draining.
And dangerous. Thereâs no shame in getting treatment. In fact, it takes courage to admit you canât do it alone.
who cares? they have privileged lives and made the problem themselves. No one in the third world has this made up BS. GET OVER YOURSELF... NO ONE CARES!
Robot Munkee So RUDE
Robot Munkee I assure you they do. How on Earth is this made up? Are you suggesting heâs lying that he does this?
@ no one in the third world has an eating disorder? Eating disorders touch on the very core of humanity - fear and control and shame. These are human emotions. Disordered eating can happen to anyone. In fact, here's a quote from a 2016 report from PubMed, "The prevalence rate of bulimia nervosa in women in Africa is within the range reported for western populations, as well as African Americans and Latin Americans."
My respect for him has gone up a million percent
The hardest thing about bulimia is everyone around you thinking you're doing well, but you're too ashamed to tell anyone the truth.
He should sue the media for causing him to have a 20 year affliction.
Iâm only 14 so I canât pretend like Iâve been suffering for a while but today (after watching this documentary) i decided to get therapy for my bulimia. honestly donât think I would have had the guts without watching it so i would seriously recommend to anyone who has an eating disorder. the things he described (like the biting of the hand, the planning and the pinching) made me realise how serious my bulimia was. seriously recommend!!!!!!
Hey, how are you doing now?
I hope you're getting better. I can relate.
is your bulimia strictly about fear of being fat or do you get some sort of high from throwing up? i participate in 12 step groups (recovering addict) and i've heard that women in recovery will frequently develop bulimia after they get clean whereas they never had it before. we all know lots of people in recovery get fat after they get clean or start smoking where they never did before so they basically switch one addiction for another so i've wondered if bulimia is somehow mood altering
@@NoirL.A. not that you were talking to me but I'm 1 yr clean and had B couple times beforehand, so yes many people swap one addiction to the next and the weight gain made me want to go back to it tbh but also for the high, the relief of stress and having something to look forward to at night. 12 steps is great if you have a great sponsor, I do although they live far away. Congrats on your recovery journey.
Me too, after so many years I need therapy.
Huge respect to him for speaking out about his illness.
The media is a poison to a vulnerable person's mind.
Absolutely wonderful of FF to share his story. Sending support.
The press is just awful! Thereâs a great deal that theyâre responsible, and should be held responsible for! I stopped reading newspapers much after Hillsborough and havenât read one for at least 25 years!
Already loved FF, now admire him even more for having the guts to confront bulimia and do it publicly too. He'll save a lot of lives doing this. Thanks Freddie!
How are you doing today Alisa Gall? Its really nice having you on here...I saw your profile on here and i think we definitely are on the same page on many Levels. Trust, Communication, Loving, Honoring, Understanding, Patience and Respecting Your Partner. So crucial to provide balance...
That's my brother I'm so proud of him we have been to hell and back as a family because of this horrible disorder. To go on national television and speak up is huge. Your not alone please reach out if you need help
@Johnny Longshlong yes đ
@Johnny Longshlong thank you so much hes doing really well.
Thank you Freddie. Itâs time to let yourself cry. All addictive behaviour stems from trauma. Love yourself and heal from the bullying and callousness you experienced. đđ»
Thank you for this beautiful comment
Thank you to Mr. Flintoff first and foremost but also the BBC for putting this out there.
I was a strength and conditioning coach specialising in cricket performance then faced up to my ED went into hospital and fought to recover. Then went on to complete another degree in psychology and specialising in eating disorders. Since I opened up to people about my own disorder I've had so many male friends tell me about their secret bulimia. This is so much more common than we know and considering the high mortality of eating disorders how many of these male suicides are to do with an eating disorder and we just don't realise. I'm so so impressed by Freddie doing this
I suffered from this for about 1 year, and that was one of the worst years of my life. I somehow convinced myself that it was either bulimia or starving, and if I didn't do either of these I would become obese. I really thought there was no way out. Now, I am fully recovered. Life does have a light, it's hard to find but it is there. đ«đ Never give up hope.
i feel for him, i hope he's okay now
This is a strong brave thing you've done. You deserve to be happy and healthy. You're not alone, but we all get stronger when someone stands up and tells their truth.
Really admire Freddie's courage for speaking openly about Bulimia. I hope that he will get the help he needs to overcome the condition for good. This conversation lwill, I hope, allow so many more people to understand that this condition can be supported and beaten. Great job, Freddie.
This just proves what the media can do to peoples lives
I had On and off periods of purging but cannot stop eating and I feel like Iâm always being watched because of my weight and itâs awful.
Same here.
God what an awful condition. My heart goes out to all suffering from bulimia. Even though I canât possibly know what you are going through, I send my support from Devon.
Your Country Loves You Mr Flintoff ... You've Done Yourself PROUD Over The Years Bringing So Many Happy Memories To Us All ... Thankyou For Blessing Us All With Your Talent ... Thankyou For Been Strong And Helping Others You Are A True Leader đđŹđ§đ God Bless You
Youâre very brave to share your story. I hope this helps others that are struggling too.â€ïž
Itâs such a hard thing for me to admit too. Thank you, Freddie, for your courage to share your quite identifiable story.
Mindblowing how brave this great man is! He is definetely saving lives with this video!!
I finally got round to watching this the other day- Iâve always loved Fred but I have so much respect for him for speaking out about this đ not only is this documentary brave on his behalf but itâs going to save so many lives - itâll hopefully encourage people to seek help. Heâs so honest and open about it despite how hard a subject it is to talk about - I hope he does decide to get help himself
In 2019 I was around 280 lbs. That was pretty much the lowest point in my health. Ever since, I've lost an incredible amount of weight and I'm currently at 153. If I'm being totally honest though I didn't lose weight the right way. I did exercise but very minimally. What I ended up doing was lots of fasting and fat burning pills. For anyone reading this, please take care of your body. I don't want anyone to end up in the shoes that I was once in. It's sad and hard to recover from.
We don't really know what those weights mean, but it is certainly a big drop. Well done for being able to achieve it but it indeed sounds like a method that could strain your body. I hope it is not too much and that you are in consultation with a health professional. Good luck.
@@icturner23 he literally said he didn't lose weight the right way....and starved, used diet pills, etc.
This is part of the problem. No one takes boys and men seriously with eating disorders.
My husband was anorexic when I met him. He never hid it though. People would ask how he lost weight and he'd tell them he stopped eating. People would laugh, thinking it was a joke- or not believe him. OR in some cases they would give him a pat on the pack and tell him great job, keep it up.
A girl does the same thing ? Everyone freaks out.
My husband's closest friends were about to stage am intervention....because they assumed he was on meth.
Not even close.
Brave. You are saving lives
Thank U for your honesty and bravery. You do help people speaking out loud. Wish you All the Best!!
Thank you sir for sharing your story. I'm sorry you have suffered this. â€â€
makes me feel less alone â€
Thank you so much for speaking up and sharing
Youre very brave. I only started being honest about my eating issues. I understand the secrecy behind it the shame. Mine comes from certain things around food that happened as a child I never talked about. Its so hard to be honest about the secret behavior.. its so hard to be honest about our inner self talk and judgments. So Im deeply grateful and impressed by your bravery to share this. Especially for men who suffer from this as well. You are perfect the way you are imperfections and all. Ive gotten now when I hear those judgments in my head or think others are judging me I just say to myself Im beautiful the way I am if you dont like what you see look else where. All these society pressures to be perfect and social media filters and unrealistic airbrush magazines dont help the cause. Thank you for your honesty. I wish you the best on your journey of healing.
@CNN is Fake News Im glad to hear about the cooking and working on things that help. The self esteem one can be a tricky bit with all these false perfectionist social media pics and advertising.. Ive just gotten to where if someone doesn't like my flaws they can look elsewhere. Im more than my appearance. Im funny sweet caring and thats whats important. For me Im still working out what works for me on the eating disorder. As a child I was starved. Then when there was food I would gorge and then be punished for it. And my grandma in her misguided old world remedies use to treat my stomach aches with ipecac and castor oil. So I find that I fall into familiar patterns of denying.. overeating n punishing myself throwing up or abusing laxatives when I feel a lack of control in my life. So for me Im trying to identify when Im feeling that way. Understanding what things I can control and what things I should surrender too but catching it before it triggers my eating patterns if that makes sense.
@CNN is Fake News well haha your sense of humor is sexy I love when I can laugh with others. Thats one thing Ive had 2 surrender to. My butt is not in the same place it was when I was 20 and neither is my face. We all get older. I look at older people and I imagine them when they were hawt and wild and I giggle to myself. We all get older. For me I want someone or friends that adore my sense of humor or other quirks .. I dont have time for people that want my butt to be comparable to a 20 yr olds.. they can just go chase them.. Id rather make room in my life for those that find me beautiful just as I am.. you should too .. youre 1 of a kind so dont compare yourself to others :)
Huge respect for this brave guy...working hard but also realizing our mistakes are both same relevant skills
Thank you for sharing. It took much courage, and your battle inspires.
You are wonderful. Sharing helps you and so many others. Such courage. Thank you!
Power to this person. Thank you for sharing this, even though it was and is hard đ
Thank you so much for this
I love his open and honest. It is important for other people going through it to know there not a lone. went through it when I was younger.
Powerful! How difficult that must have been for him, very brave men.
It's great that you've spoken about this, Freddie. ..... If there's any young men or teenage boys reading this, know that there is no assumptions made about your sexuality, gender identity or some assumed perspective of your masculinity within the eating disorder treatment community. ....... It's tragically true and well known that the fear of being perceived as gay, gender-differing or a lack-of-masculinity keeps many young men and teenage guys from seeking treatment, even self-identifying themselves as having the problem.
Was always a fan Freddie, even more so now. Kia kaha.
Thanks for sharing, I wish you the best! You're helping others.
Top man. Thank you for everything. Love from Chorley, Lancashire
Thank You!!!!!
This hits home hard
So proud of him for speaking out
You are very brave to address this publicly. You are going to help a lot of people by doing so. I admire your bravery. Your kids need their father healthy. God bless you!
Breaks my heartâŠ..I hope this documentary helped many to reach out
Great role model for speaking his truth - will help so many people to speak up and seek help
Absolute hero. Very brave and wish him all the best
Gabriel Carr Yeah, this can raise awareness about bulimia not just being a female based thing and help men be heard and not silenced by people who tell them to âman upâ
I respect those who are honest. There are so many who can relate. Don't be afraid or shamed by society's narrow mindset.
What an amazing guy. To come out and discuss this issue is great. Good you...........
Thank you for this! I been bulimic for 8 years and it's the most difficult habit to brake! Sending good vibes âšïž
Thank you for sharing awareness. I felt like it was only me
Its a heart touching store
Greatest respect for this guy... Always loved Freddie Flintoff đđđ
I have just finished his booked and he talked about the feelings he had when he did this documentary and the reasons so I thought IÂŽd like to watch it.
Thank you
I do -- I eat without control -- I am sad -- I cannot control my mind & life
Look for âMindful Eatingâ and âSavorâ two really good books about understanding your relationship to food and yourself đđ»
@@SusanHopkinson Thanks ... Will try ... But am too lazy to read books ... Am a panda who likes to eat, sleep and watch tv
I know it's not the point but he looks so hot in this trailer. Beautiful man.
He sure is. I would marry him! lol
Brave! So brave. I hope he recover. He CAN beat this
Thank you Freddie,you're very brave,well done you! You will save other people from your bravery!đâïžđâïž
Freddie your a lovely man must be hard for him bless him xxx
Freddie you're the best !!
this is how we can stop the stigma! men are humans with feelings, emotions and insecurities..glad somebody influential like this is taking a step forwardâ€ïž
Iv had a strange thing since I was a kid where I donât like to eat aRound ppl.
Itâs a strange characteristic...
Very Brave
I'm always amazed at how bulimics get away with having a secret eating disorder. If you're not noticeably underweight people don't look twice.
I feel so lost. I have been binge eating 3 -4 times a day , it's getting so out of control. I can't even look at myself anymore. I feel disgusted. He broke up with me after 5 years of relationship and I couldn't share my feelings with anyone and kept eating non stop , gained 8 kga in 3 months and I take laxative after eating. I don't know how to stop.
My biggest respect to Freddie Flintoff for sharing this long kept secret! It's honest and a great example for so many people out there suffering the same issue.
I would have never expected that of him as he comes across as such a confident bloke in public. Sensitive but with a lot of self-esteem and a fabulous sense of humour. It proves that the public image is only a little part of somebody...
I'm stunned that the press bullied Freddie so much. As a German I learned more about cricket only a few years ago. But the one thing that was said to me, why cricket is such a great sport, was that it's done respectfully and that it's even possible for people with some more weight to play good and even great cricket. That it's more about technique and mind set... That was actually one of the messages that made me become more interested in cricket. Before I found it pretty boring: men that stand or sit around for ages without anything happening ;) was new to me...
I am disappointed that also in this sport the athletes get pushed into this zone of discomfort so much that an actual mental disorder is the outcome...
Freddie Flintoff please keep following this path of learning more about your disorder and even more about yourself and how you can breakthrough all the mechanisms which led you to harm yourself. At the end it's all you do with bulimia. You strain your own body, soul and mind; your own capital to live your life in this world. Nobody will thank you for this once your body may suffer from subsequent damages... Especially not your work field. It never does to anybody, doesn't matter what the issue is.
This is a great step to get back the control of your own life primarily for yourself, then for your children as you said. Going public and helping others can give your path a purpose to keep following it.
Freddie Flintoff you are a valuable human being with your kind personality and character, with all your flaws - we all have them.
Take care!
people who never cry (I have been one) very, very often are controlling so many parts of themselves and their lives that those emotions and grief are simply not allowed to exist. The moment that armour comes off the tears can hit so hard
Love you mate
I feel his pain. Iâve been doing better with my issues
Legend forever
Sitting in the train and think or feel everyoneâs looking at you! Could not relate more to that comment!
My son is a teen athlete and we had to put him in residential treatment for anorexia he almost died and then he was bullied in treatment for being a male and that took its own toll on him and he is struggling so much even now I wish more men would speak out
In my thoughts and prayers. How has things been going of late? Recovery is not a linear trajectory and it's about progress not perfection. Dealing with this disease, especially when it's your own child, is just scary and heartbreaking. I've seen the hurt and fear in my parents eyes. Now I just keep it secret. It comforts me. I'm not in a life threatening stage at the moment and so I hope I am controlling it, and that it isn't controlling me. Take care. Wishing you all the best. đâ€đ
Begorah, man. There's no shame in having an illness. Our brains are organs, like any other. My heart aches for your suffering. I wish you nothing but peace, and safety, health, and healthy longevity.
It effects him and his family , purging is emotionally draining and takes its toll , feeling guilt about eating and shameful about your body is soul distroying, it's a cycle of hungry and gult and means your are not present with others ever , Preoccupation with body image is exhausting. He is also anorexia as he is starving and over exercising . He needs help and what a brave soul to share this .
I would give this a thousand likes if I could.
i feel where heâs coming from itâs so hard to see your self the way you are when you were 450 pounds and now 175 i just hate myself
I just want to say God bless you.
I really pray you get well.
Your a blessed and beautiful person.
And very handsome man.
I know a mental health illness , is not easy .
You can be told good things.
But no matter what your told it doesn't mend nor change how you feel
If only it was as easy as that.
To know your a lovely strong, handsome , blessed man.
Yes clearly , as you said a great family that support and love you.
Keep going forward and believe in yourself.
I struggled the same thing growing up as a ternage boy, I always think about weight every seconds, I feel like people judging/looking at me all the time when they dont. But it all resulted when I gained weight and people made comment about me.
Thank you for talking about it. It matters.
I'm not sure how to even approach the side issue, but I've known plenty of men who are heterosexual but who've chosen not to seek help because of the perception that men with the illness are gay or bi, and for the more suffocating reason, that it's associated with women and with the beauty world, so to say you have an ED is to say to some, wrongly, you have a 'feminine" problem, whatever your sexuality is aside, if that makes sense.
Aah thankyou so much you are so ooooo brave Iâve been battling for years and can relate so much and Iâm a women and no one that hasnât been through it really cannot and will not understand and now Iâm born again Christian I cry to the lord for deliverance from the demons that influences me and my fears in my body I pray this will be more spoken about that many could be freed đđ»
So sad I feel for him irl
Iâm really afraid because Iâm struggling with same issue right now and honestly donât know how it gonna end⊠:)
i think i have bulimia and iâm scared i donât know what to do
Goodness. I hope he knows he can get professional help for this!
đ„șđâ€
I still can't kick my bulimia.
It's doing my head in.
I have met freddie Flintoff in real life he awesome guy
â€ïžâ€ïž
How do you "like" a story like this. Hat off to you ... CZcams - we need "Respect" button . R E S P E C T !
I hope he's okey
I didnât think I âwas serious enoughâ for treatment. At that time I was in hospital for malnutrition and starvation syndrome. The doctor told me I would have been dead within a month as my blood pressure was 70/30. Yet I still felt I was fine and it was perfectly ok for someone âmy sizeâ to not eat food and consume only hydrolyte. Eating disorders lie to us.
Well done Freddie for having the balls to admit it .
Most people think its a womans eating disorder You have now put that myth right
I stop eating when my life spirals out of control I know why but can't stop it Good luck Freddie and hold your head up God Bless Jenny đââ
I wish you all the best live your life for you the way you want to live it be good to yourself
Facebook won't allow me to share this video. Apparently it goes against their 'community standards'. That's disgusting.