Dennis Quaid: I Struggled With Anorexia

Actor Dennis Quaid has publicly acknowledged his battle with anorexia in "Best Life" magazine, a title published by Men's Health's parent company, Rodale Press.

The forthcoming article, which was leaked today by the New York Post, details Quaid's health battle. "He spills the beans about his battle with the deadly eating disorder, which he calls "manorexia." Quaid, 51, said he briefly suffered from the condition about a decade ago, when he lost 40 pounds to play the role of a tubercular Doc Holliday in Wyatt Earp."

"My arms were so skinny that I couldn't pull myself out of a pool," Quaid tells the magazine. "I wasn't bulimic, but I could understand what people go through with that. I'd look in the mirror and still see a 180-pound guy, even though I was 138 pounds."

I cannot begin to tell you how many clients (both male and female) I've encountered in the past two years who have struggled with either bulemia or anorexia. We have far too few people (but especially guys) willing to step forward to talk about struggles like Quaid's. The frank nature of his statement about anorexia shows that this is not a male or female problem. It's a human problem. Bravo to Quaid and other celebrities who are willing to show their humanity.