‘It was horrifying’: Hilary Duff recalls battle with eating disorder at age 17

The Disney Channel alum Hilary Duff (35) recently opened up about the anxieties of child stardom. Duff revealed that she struggled with a 'horrifying 'eating disorder for a year when she was 17 as she spoke to Women's Health Australia about how she overcame her body dysmorphia.

"Because of my career path, I can't help but be like, 'I am on camera and actresses are skinny.' It was horrifying," she recounted, explaining that she's since developed a healthy relationship with her body. Duff further asserted that over time she learned to love her body and her strength. 

"I am appreciating my health, doing activities that make me feel strong instead of just bettering the outside of my body, Spending time with people that make me feel good and share similar views on health and body positivity and getting enough sleep and balance in my diet," Duff added. 

'Her family and work is more important': Duff's personal trainer 

Duff's personal trainer Dominic Leeder explained that although she's dedicated to her health and fitness, they aren't Duff's top priority. "I don't feel like she'll mind me saying this, yes, her fitness and health are hugely important to Hilary. What's more important to her is her family and work," he explained.

"When she comes home from work, she wants to spend time with her family because she spends very little time with them when she's hard at work, so every moment counts," Dominic Leeder said. 

"When I met Hilary, we decided to focus on resistance training, because we wanted to build lean muscle mass and up her metabolism," he revealed. "Her diet was also a huge factor and I wanted to make sure that she was eating the correct amount of macros for the goal that she needed."

Leeder noted that as Duff navigates a busy work schedule and her family, her fitness goals are not always at the forefront, but in taking a holistic approach to her training allowed her to find the combination that works for her.

Hilary Duff found fame as a child with breakout roles in Casper Meets Wendy (1998) and her Disney Channel series Lizzie McGuire, which ran for two seasons from 2001 to 2004, launching a feature adaptation in 2003.