Victoria Beckham Speaks Candidly About Battling an Eating Disorder

In a new Netflix documentary, Victoria Beckham reflects on how years of public scrutiny over her appearance contributed to an eating disorder that she says left her feeling disconnected from reality.

Victoria Beckham has opened up about her struggles with an eating disorder that she described as "incredibly unhealthy," revealing that the condition left her feeling detached from reality after the Spice Girls disbanded in 2000.

In her new Netflix docuseries, "Victoria Beckham," the designer explained that during that period she became skilled at concealing her illness, even from her parents. She also admitted that she had never spoken publicly about it before.

She reflected that constant criticism about her appearance had taken a lasting toll and that feelings of inadequacy stayed with her for much of her life. The fashion designer recalled being labeled with nicknames related to her weight and said she felt she had no control over how she was portrayed in the media.

To cope, she focused on maintaining her body size, which she admitted she managed in a harmful way. The 51-year-old also recounted being weighed on television in 1999, six months after giving birth to her first child, Brooklyn.

Although she looks back on the moment with humor, she said the experience was painful because she was so young at the time. Her husband, David Beckham, reflected on that era as well. He noted that public criticism of women's bodies was far more common then and that similar treatment would no longer be acceptable today.

Victoria added that the scrutiny made her question her self-worth and caused her to lose touch with reality. She said her relationship with food is now healthy, though she continues to avoid certain things — such as chocolate, which she has not eaten since the 1990s.