Demi Lovato Battled Bulimia and Negative Body Image: Turns into Role Model For Many; Her Diet and Fitness Routine

Demi Lovato has always been open about her struggle with eating disorders. She had been struggling with bulimia for a long time, and she has always made it a point to spread awareness about a positive body image.

According to the Daily Mail, she admitted that she began overeating when she was eight, and by the age of 12, her school mates began bullying her. She said that they called her fat. To lose weight, she stopped eating, almost starving herself and she lost 30 pounds, she revealed. "From then on I continued under eating, but my weight plateaued," she told The Daily Mail.

The young pop star has now gotten over her disorder and her negative body image. She told OK magazine that she is healthy and feels happy about her "bodacious booty." She said that she owes her boosted confidence to her stylist who designs clothes that helps her feel great about her body. She stated that he helped her look even more high fashioned and sophisticated and that helped her feel highly confident about her body. He made her confident enough to take risks with her clothing as well, Lovato explained. She now feels confident enough to wear skin tight, fitted clothing.

Speaking about her eating disorder, she said the long battle has ended and now she follows a diet and exercise programme.

In 2010, she told ABC's "20/20" that for the past ten years, she had a very unhealthy relationship with food. But now she has adopted a healthy diet and has learned to control her craving and eat healthy. She revealed to OK magazine that she has a meal timetable. "Having a past with food issues, it's important for me to maintain a healthy lifestyle," she said.

Pointing to Beyonce and her workout schedule, the pop star said if Beyonce could find time to work out then, so can she. Beyonce explained that she works out for an hour every morning and skips it only when she's really tired.

Lovato has always inspired and given courage to several women who have eating disorders and a bad body image. According to the National Eating Disorders Association, in the U.S. alone, eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia affect 10 million females and 1 million males. She has with her documentary, Demi Lovato: Stay Strong, and her book Staying Strong: 365 Days a Year, given courage and direction to several youngsters struggling with the same problems that she was struggling with.