Hollyoaks star Mikyla Dodd has bravely spoken about the struggle with her weight and the health battle she fought after losing an incredible nine stone.
The 47-year-old actress is among the celebrities who have openly spoken about the challenges of weight loss. Recently, reality star Aisleyne Horgan-Wallace shared the terrifying health scare she faced after using unregulated weight-loss injections.
But Mikyla hopes to inspire others by raising awareness about eating disorders – something she has grappled with for most of her life.
Mikyla Dodd on ‘challenging relationship with food’
The actress rose to fame as Chloe Bruce on Channel 4 soap Hollyoaks. She struggled with being overweight throughout her teens and twenties.
Mikyla told The Sun that she was 24 stone at her heaviest. She managed to shed nine stone, but it took a toll on her health. She revealed that she got caught in a cycle of binge eating after achieving a healthy weight.
It dominates my thoughts most of my waking hours.
The actress is now starring in the short film A Day With An Eating Disorder.
Reflecting on her eating habits, Mikyla said: “I’ve got a very challenging relationship with food. It dominates my thoughts most of my waking hours. Somebody in my family also has struggled with anorexia nervosa. It doesn’t leave people either, it’s a difficult one.”
‘There’s not just one way to fix someone’
By appearing in the movie, Mikyla admitted she hopes to “provide a voice” to those struggling with eating disorders.
She believes educating younger people about body image issues “improves the trajectory to a normal, healthy life and experience with food”.
The Hollyoaks star said: “Nobody knows what’s going on behind somebody’s eyes and just appreciating that we’re all having our own struggles in our own way is important.”
Mikyla strongly believes “there’s not just one way to fix someone”. As as result, she encourages people to get support that works for them. She added that this could be therapy or the right support system to lean on.
For details on how to watch the short film, visit the maker’s website here.
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