“I Am On Camera And Actresses Are Skinny:” Hilary Duff Shares Struggle To Live Up To Expectations of “Perfect Body”

Hilary Duff recently shared that she suffered from an eating disorder in 2004 when she was 17. In the January 2023 issue of Women’s Health Australia, the 35-year-old actress spoke about the pressure she felt as a teenage actress in an industry with unrealistic ideas of the perfect body. 

“Because of my career path, I can’t help but be like, “I am on camera, and actresses are skinny,” she told the magazine.

The How I Met Your Father actress said that she has learned to appreciate her health as her focus has shifted from only seeking to better the outside of her body to taking care of herself from the inside. For her, activities that make her feel strong matter more now that she feels proud of her body.

To stay on track, the star spends time with people with similar views on health and body positivity that make her feel good about herself. She also prioritizes quality sleep and a balanced diet.

Hilary’s change in approach was not without the help of her personal trainer Dominic Leeder. Sharing how he helped Hilary achieve the best shape of her life, Leeder shared that the key is setting realistic goals. According to him, many people turn to a “fad diet” to help them lose a significant amount of weight fast. The problem with such a diet, however, is that it doesn’t hold on for long and results deteriorate quickly after a seemingly incredible level of weight loss.

Using Hilary as an example, Leeder advised that fitness goals should be approached as a marathon rather than as a sprint. For him, beyond reaching a fitness goal, people should also focus on maintaining the goal, and the key to that is not a rushed shortcut routine.

Leeder further shared that he and Hilary focused on resistance training rather than the widely popular cardio. This was the best course in consideration of her diet as they wanted to up her metabolism and build lean muscle mass. 

Achieving a strong body and mind like Hilary’s is not without its struggles, as Leeder explained that it wasn’t easy to work her fitness goal around her family and work life. Family time was a priority for the mother of three, who liked to spend time with her kids and husband Matthew Koma whenever she was home from work. Hence, they had to constantly work overtime to figure out a way to maintain her goal while living her best life.