Marisa Losciale
Mon, March 27, 2023 at 8:13 PM CDT ·2 min read
The singer said he's 'mad uncomfortable' talking about it but also recognizes that it feels 'good to be honest.'
Ed Sheeran recently revealed he struggles with disordered eating, opening up about the issue in hopes that it encourages others in similar situations to talk about it with someone they trust instead of hiding it.
"I have a real eating problem," he told Rolling Stone. "I’m a real binge eater. I’m a binge-everything. But I’m now more of a binge exerciser, and a binge dad. And work, obviously."
Sheeran admitted in the Mar. 21 cover story that while the discussion may not be pleasant for him, it's an important one. "There’s certain things that, as a man talking about them, I feel mad uncomfortable. It’s good to be honest…because so many [men] do the same thing and hide it."
Binge eating disorder is one of the most common eating disorders, according to experts. The "Bad Habits" singer even related his experience to that of the legendary Elton John, who previously wrote about his own struggles with bulimia.
"So I found myself doing what Elton [John] talks about in his book," Sheeran said, explaining that his tendencies to be self-conscious and outside pressure from the industry eventually led him to develop an unhealthy relationship with food and self-image.
"I’m self-conscious anyway, but you get into an industry where you’re getting compared to every other pop star," he says had him wondering why he didn't look like Justin Bieber or Shawn Mendes. "I was in the One Direction wave, and I’m like, ‘Well, why don’t I have a six pack?’ And I was like, ‘Oh, because you love kebabs and drink beer.’ Then you do songs with Justin Bieber and Shawn Mendes. All these people have fantastic figures. And I was always like, ‘Well, why am I so … fat?’"
The 32-year-old father of two also recalled overcoming depression in the wake of his best friend's death and shortly before welcoming his second child. He credited his wife, Cherry Seaborn, for being his support system and helping him get into therapy–something he noted isn't a cure-all solution.
"The help isn’t a button that is pressed, where you’re automatically OK," he said. "It is something that will always be there and just has to be managed."
Despite how unfavorable the constant comparisons have been on Sheeran's mental health, he said he remains incredibly grateful for his position as a pop star and for life in general, "We’re so grateful," he said, "to be alive."
If you’re struggling with an eating disorder, you can find support and resources from the National Eating Disorder Association (NEDA). If you are in a crisis, you can text “NEDA” to 741741 to be connected with a trained volunteer at the Crisis Text Line for immediate support.
