Lizzie Cundy has opened up about her battle with an eating disorder that resurfaced following the breakdown of her marriage to former footballer Jason Cundy. The 43-year-old revealed she lost a stone in weight, dropping to a dangerously low BMI of 14.5, well below the healthy minimum of 18.5.
Speaking about her ordeal, Lizzie explained that she could not face food due to stress. "Some people comfort eat but I do the opposite, I couldn't face food," she said. Her weight plummeted to around seven-and-a-half stone, causing her hair to fall out and clothes to hang off her frame.
The mother of two traced her eating issues back to her teenage years, when a model agency advised her to lose her "puppy fat". That comment, coupled with family problems, triggered a period of disordered eating during which she hid food and became increasingly controlling. "Eating disorders are usually a control thing, they are not usually about food," she noted.
Despite overcoming her eating issues in her youth, Lizzie relapsed after discovering Jason's infidelity in 2010. She sought medical help and was prescribed antidepressants and sleeping tablets, but chose not to take them. "I got home and I thought, 'No, I don't want to go down that road'," she said.
Lizzie's struggle has also been marked by her husband's two bouts of testicular cancer, which he survived. She has since campaigned for male cancer awareness with the charity Orchid, emphasising that many men die needlessly from the disease due to delayed check-ups.
Reflecting on her experiences, Lizzie said she does not believe an eating disorder ever truly leaves a person. She continues to advocate for health issues while rebuilding her life after her marriage ended.
