Nadia Sawalha opens up for Loose Women Body Stories: 'Overeaters Anonymous gave me tools for life'
NADIA SAWALHA'S BODY STORY 'MY STRETCH MARKS, CELLULITE AND ALL THE BATTLE SCARS OF LIFE'
Nadia has always talked openly about her complicated relationship with food and body on Loose Women. And she has embraced our Body Stories campaign with her usual passion.
Having struggled with food growing up and yo-yoing dieting as a teenager and in her twenties, Nadia revealed: "I didn’t get a grip on my bad eating patterns until I was in my late thirties."
"While going to a family meeting with my husband Mark for his alcoholism, I saw an ad for Overeaters Anonymous I didn’t even know that kind of thing existed, but they’re all around the world," Nadia explained. "I went to my first meeting and just sat there listening in awe to people talk openly about all the things that I had been through."
"After that I went every single day for a month, then weekly and now I pop in and out when I need. Like AA, you follow a 12-step program."
"It’s quite complicated, but it makes you pause and think why you’re eating what you are and how it’s going to make you feel afterwards."
"It completely changed the way I thought about food and without it I would have become fatter and fatter, or thinner and thinner. It gave me tools for life."
"I have wasted more time than I can to think of over my body issues. I’ve always hated being naked. I felt quite panic stricken at the thought of getting my body out in front of myself never mind a rock god!" Nadia said about our Loose Women Body Story photo shoot with Bryan Adams.
'Stepping into the studio in my bra and pants was beyond cringe. There I was stretch marks, cellulite and all the battle scars of life for all to see with the knowledge that there would be zero airbrushing,' she said.
"And to be honest that's why I wanted to do the shoot. I wanted to practice what I preach to my daughters. What the hell does it matter what we look like as long as we are smart, brave and kind?"
"I'm praying that after this I will feel liberated and no longer be living in my secret cellulite hell!"
Don't miss the show on Tuesday 2 May 12.30pm on ITV when we will be showing you behind the scenes on the photoshoot and talking exclusively to Bryan about the campaign.