Hollywood's Dangerous Weight-Loss Secret

Models, Celebs Drop Pounds With Drug Made To Treat Asthma In Horses

(CBS)  The recent death of 21-year-old anorexic model Ana Carolina Reston has many people concerned that the extremely skinny ideal in fashion and in Hollywood is spinning out of control.

Size zero and smaller is the goal for many starlets and young tabloid readers, who follow in their footsteps, and extreme dieting is raging through Hollywood like a competitive sport.

In part one of The Early Show series "Losing It" E! Entertainment News anchor Giuliana DePandi reports that the pressure on actresses and models to be thin causes some to find dangerous ways to find ways to speed their weight-loss along.

More people seem to be turning to drugs like Clenbuterol, which is approved in the United States to treat asthma in horses. The side effect of Clenbuterol, or "Clen," is that it builds muscle and results in temporary weight loss.

"I hear it a lot in my gym, and it's a dangerous drug," Hollywood fitness trainer Jackie Warner said. "There isn't a magic pill. If there was … I'm a business person, I'd be selling it; I'd be taking it."

But in Hollywood, some people are willing to trade their health to be thin. Celebrities and models are dissected on the red carpets and runways and face a lot of pressure to look perfect.

"If you're thin, you're successful," said Ken Baker, West Coast executive editor at Us Weekly. "It has become this epidemic that you have to be thin, and too thin is never thin enough."

"It's brutal, Hollywood is brutal," Warner said. "It's getting very intense because the competition between especially young actresses is so extreme."

Scarlett Pomers, who starred on The CW sitcom "Reba," is recovering from an eating disorder and says many young actresses feel they have to get skinny if they want to work.

"I definitely have heard horror stories from other actresses and actors, too, that have been told, 'Well, lose 15 pounds and you can get the part,' " she said. "It really just puts you in this place where you kind of don't know what's normal or not."

"A lot of these women in Hollywood are under such extreme pressure that they'll go to extreme measures to get the look they want," Baker said.

Some say Clenbuterol has become Hollywood's dirty little secret. Hollywood hairstylist Ricardo Reyes has used the drug to drop weight.

"Why get there in three months when you can get there in a month?" he said.

[htownjesse]

What a bunch of morons!! Happiness should NOT be dependent on what someone else thinks you should be but how you feel about yourself on the inside.
Drugs like these shold be banned in the USA. Besides, if I wanted all bones I'd order me some BBQ ribs.

[immunity100]

Obesity is a much bigger problem for general Americans. The only difference is that some people stuff themselves with junk food to death in a slower rate.

[vigilante11]

Anorexia in NOT an illness. I lived in Africa for the first 30 years of my life and the word does not even exist. Anorexia is choice, an addiction to one's F****g ego. Anorexics are simply looking for attention and symphathy from the rest of us and so are the obese people...and if you die from either of those self-inflicted "disease", all I can say is, YOU ASKED FOR IT. Go ahead and die..see if the world stops spinning.

[immunity100]

vigilante11 ,
I am totally with you!!

[malaniz2]

Please be advised that Clenbuterol is also used in Mexico to make cows grow faster. It is very dangerous since this product is not processed by the liver. I cannot imagine how this can be used as a weight loss product since it is used also to make cows grow....just eat right!!

[ecuadoriana]

Who are these men who are supposed to find the near-death, bag-o-bones look attractive? I have never in my 45 years met a man (younger or older) who thinks this look is attractive, ***, or healthy. There can't be any men behind the modeling scenes telling the models to starve themselves, because no (normal) man wants to be in bed with, or to fantasise about, a corpse.

These girls talk about "the pressure" on them to look deathly thin, but there is an option. They can QUIT modeling & find a career that doesn't require them to practically kill themselves. What is the point of making all that money if it will be only used to pay for their medical or funeral expenses.

I also have to question the wisdom & sanity of the parents who actually encourage their daughters to pursue this type of modeling. Models as young as 12!!! What sane mother would encourage her 12 yr old daughter to look like a half-starved prostitute?! What happened to "Eat your dinner! There are children starving in Africa!"

Any men who do actually think "the waif" look to be *** must be pedophiles. Most normal men don't fantasise about half naked little girls. And that is just what most of these models look like.

[telescopium]

I dunno, the rest of you are freaking out, Im wondering where I can get this stuff... I would die to look like those girls

[rafterman1]

I agree with ecuadoriana, there is nothing more unattractive than that look. But I think part of the psychological problem is, the women who do this to themselves don't realize how bad they look. In their mind's eye, they thnk NOT doing this to themselves is what's unattractive. And it's hard to reason with people who have difficulty with reality. That's why Vigilante11 is wrong, anorexia IS a disease because the sufferers are incapable of seeing the reality of their situation. It has nothing to do with ego. Do you really believe that if they could see how awful and sick they look, they would still do it to themselves? They are psychologically damaged, not stupid.

[tibu987]

The human mind is a mysterious thing.
One would think that upon looking in a mirror at your body, flattened out, dried breasts, ugly bony skeleton, one would think, hey, I could use a few pounds to fill out a bit.
Obviously, the models do not see it that way. They must see a shrink to learn how to maintain their bodies, slim, but not skeletal.

[zellasty]

You have to ask yourself, if you are them, living a glamourous life, pictures taken of you everyday, designer clothes, the finest food, exotic vacations, the money, the life. Is it worth your life? I think many of these celebrities say yes. They will sell their soul to have it all.

[jukbx]

Thanks to the media, people are so insecure about their looks they will do whatever they have to do to be accepted, even if it includes starving themselves to death. It's sad we live in a world where people are so shallow that looks are everything. I feel very sorry for our children.

[o0pie]

I concur, it is scary to think that the skeletal look is 'in'. I hope I have instilled a better sense of self-worth in my teenage daughter to be happy with her body and not fall into this cycle of unhealthy weight loss. I also agree, from a male point of view, that this extreme is as unattractive as the other extreme, which would be severe obesity.

[szelag19]

My, my vigilante,you are an angry little person aren't you? From the sound of your comment you must live in a fascinating world..where all is black and white and weight is not an issue.. that's wonderful..go spread your sunshine throughout all the lives you come in contact with..but please, don't ever enter into the real world..

[lanaedawn]

I agree with vigilante. Anorexia/bulimia, obesity, alcoholism...these are not diseases...they are the result of too little self control or too little self esteem. People need to learn to deal with life and get over themselves.

[lanaedawn]

And...the models don't do it because they like the look...the models do it to keep their job. I'm 5'8, 108 lbs and I got out of modeling because I got turned down for jobs because I was told I was too fat to wear the clothes. Many of the models you see in magazines are somehow pinned and stuffed into those clothes. None of my housemates thought the ultra skinny look was attractive but in order to survive in the business it was what they were forced to look like.

[lonestartnow]

This is much more than an

[lonestartnow]

I'll try again. The first post cut off after the first few words. Anyway, this is much more than an

[lonestartnow]

I'll try again. The first post cut off after the first few words. Anyway, this is much more than an

[lonestartnow]

OK, if this doesn't post, I give up. One last time. This is much more than an "it's nice to be thin" issue, and it's not just an issue to be addressed by models, actresses and actors. It must be addressed at all levels on an individual basis. It's an issue that must take into account personal responsibility and what that means to each of us. Want or need to lose weight? Sure. According to statistics, most of us do. But what about long term health? You can do both. We are at a point in this country where a national movement is needed to change our fundamental lifestyle behaviors. We are all stake in this effort, and together we must confront the epidemic of overweight, obesity and inactivity, but not by harming ourselves or our bodies. Starving is obviously not the answer, any more than are veterinary drugs for horses, or any other weight loss "drug du jour." What about common sense and personal choice? What about what's right for each of us rather than what's right for Hollywood? Sorry for the soapbox, but this issue is my business and when I see stories such as this, it reinforces why I do what I do.

[cornflower3]

if the people in hollywood want to harm themselves, let them, but these diets should not be advertised so young women and women with low self esteem copy them. for some reason people think if they copy everthing these so-called stars do they will look like them, forgotting about the botox injections and plastic surgery, fake boobs and liposuction that is also needed. plus they need photographers that will touch up the pictures so these people will look even better.

[memerider]

It's not just Hollywood. This issue is made more difficult by the natural human tendency to store fat due to a heritage of regular bouts of starvation in the past. The combination has people self-righteously condemning others for being overweight, and those who are on the receiving end of the condemnation are scrambling to try to fix themselves. This is a serious systemic societal problem.

A start would be to integrate exercise as part of school and workdays and limit availability of unhealthy foods to children and workers at school and on-the-job. If people don't have soda and candy machines, they'll eat whatever is available.

Our workplaces have become white-collar sweat shops where people sit for 10-12 hours or more daily with few breaks where they wolf down whatever is fast.

Hollywood is just the tip of the iceberg.

[bob_burd]

Hey, how about that cocaine? Much more hip and trendy than weight loss pills and purging.

Selah

[msdantes]

Fantasy of fame and fortune (and therefore obsession with being thin) is a malady of our own way of thinking in USA.

[veew59]

I am on Topamax for my epilepsy and I find repulsive that a doctor is using it to help with weight loss. I have to be on this medication for the rest of my life and believe me, I would rather not be on any medication at all. I'd rather have a normal life without seizures. This doctor should be reported to the medical board and his patients should be in therapy. There isn't a magic pill. Exercise and eating is the only thing that works. I know, I've done it and lost over 100+ pounds. That was before I was on this medication.

[veew59]

Is it just me or don't these women look sick? Whatever happened to the women of the 30's and 40's who looked normal? They had figures and a size 10 or 12 wasn't unheard of. Now it's tabu. What's that all about? You have to be a size zero or less, or you're not worth being in a film? That's whack as my young friends would say, excuse my language. Now that's my normal size. I am proud as heck when I am that size. I look great. I look normal. I don't look like a walking skeleton.

[cntrygrllst]

This can't be a personal issue if you are the parent of a young child who is of the age that this is all they see. I have a beautiful healthy 15 year old daughter, she wears a size 7 jeans she is built like a healthy girl she has curves where they should be. However she is called "fat" every day at school because she is built well, and I refuse to let her diet. How many of our youngsters are going to die of eating disorders before Hollyweird realizes they are killing them because they think you have to be thin to be beautiful. Marilyn Monroe was not overly thin and she was amazing. Jane Mansfield was one of the most beautiful women to ever grace flim and she was not extremely thin these are the women I try to show my daughter as role models they were real not stick figures.
"REAL WOMEN HAVE CURVES"

[veew59]

You know what bugs the heck out of me? I have a sister that's a nurse. In recent years she's put on a few pounds. Mainly because she's got such a busy schedule and she doesn't take the time to eat right. She eats mainly fast food, but she does take the time to exercise. That hasn't taken off the weight that she's gained. She is so self aware that she won't even show her face at her husband's baseball games because she's heavier than the other wives there. The horrible part is that she's so beautiful. If she could just get past her weight, she'd be fine. But she can't.

She was always the "thin" one when we were growing up. I had the weight problem and now I don't. She won't even hear it when the doctor tells me that I lost any weight. She gets angry. It's like she needs a fat buddy. But I can't be that since I'm not that person anymore. I eat healthier more than she does and she hates that. Even though she buys all her food at the health food store. But she won't cook. It's a task that she didn't learn, she learned the fashion aspect of being a woman, where I just couldn't care less. I was the tomboy. Even though our mother was a model, I still know all the things about how to walk and sit correctly, I just don't know the make-up angle. I also have a problem with hair. She does take the time to come over and make me up when I have special occasions.

[mesapam]

I have epilepsy. I have been on topamax for years. When I first went on the drug, I lost the weight I gained when I was on a depacote, another seizure medication. Topamax causes memory loss, diziness, I was tired all the time when I first went on it. Most foods and smells make you sick to your stomach. At first I lived on scrambled eggs and cranberry juice. You require twice as much water as normal. If you don't get enough water, you get cramps. A woman I worked with started taking topamax to lose weight. She started out taking 1/2 pill a day. I was taking 4. She lost weight at first, but your body adapts and you need to keep increasing. Her parents got concerned and convinced her to quit taking the topamax. She went cold turkey and started to have seizures. This is a serious medication. I don't think that many doctors understand the side effects. People should talk to the pharmacist before taking any medication.

[lthomas0301]

I was taking Topomax for bi-polar, and after my hands and feet went numb and I had constant stomach cramps.... no more. I also felt like I was on uppers.

[lthomas0301]

I am 5'7 and about 200 lbs and I look good! I am also a tomboy and I have never had a hangup about my weight, it fluctated from size 20 down to size 12, I have identical stuff in all sizes.

My weight depends on the medications I am taking... they ALL make you gain weight, and few (like Topamax) make you lose it.

I think that if your cholesterol, blood sugar, and blood pressure are in normal ranges, and you get out there and walk every day, and you know you don't pig out on junk, who cares what you weigh, you are healthy.

[lthomas0301]

These walking skeletons have EATING disorders... and all the throwing up will rot out their teeth... so THERE, Portia de Rossi or whatever your name is. Get a psychiatrist like us supposedly fat girls!

[lthomas0301]

Vigilante,

You sound almost smug about your weight... give it up, are you height/weight proportioned?

People can judge MY weight all they want, I just don't give them credence. They have no idea that I take meds that make me gain weight... oh, yeah, I used to be 5'7 and 120 lbs... before the meds. I guess I traded the stupid "I'm all it, I weigh this much and ha ha but I'm still shallow and empty inside" for sanity. B****.

[ladycascadia]

This is a pretty sad commentary on society, no doubt. It seems like people care more about what a person looks like on the outside than what they're personality and character is like...or in the case of Hollywood, whether or not the person has true talent!

Like Susan Powter would say, STOP THE INSANITY! I'm sorry but if ingesting dangerous drugs is what it takes to be thin and famous...then I'd rather be fat...and unknown...and ALIVE!

[ladycascadia]

What's with the attack on Vigilante? Thin does not equate pretty. For the record, I am 45 y/o, and a "big girl"...over 200 lbs, I keep fit with bicycling, walking, and dancing (both ballroom and Middle Eastern) and I look and feel darned good too! It is possible...

[ladycascadia]

woah...I just went back and read Vigilante's comment. Hmmm...so much for compassion! Any attacks he or she gets are totally deserved...

I guess I want to know why can't people just let other people be? Why is it so important that EVERYONE look the same and be the same size? That makes no sense whatsoever...

[cantshutup]

It's too bad so many people are so insecure that they'd let these loosers in hollywood set the standards of what is acceptable...wake up people! Hollywood is full of stupid, ignorant, degenerates that don't deserve all the glory people put on them!

[twopennies]

This is a serious medication. I don't think that many doctors understand the side effects. People should talk to the pharmacist before taking any medication.
Posted by mesapam at 10:25 AM : Nov 22, 2006

This might win the ignorant comment of the year award. You dont think that doctors understand the side effects of this medication? Maybe your friend wasn't completely honest with her docotr regarding the reasons she was taking the medecine. ALWAYS consult your doctor regarding medications your interested or needing to take or wanting to quit. There are side effects to every medication available. There is a reason pharmacists cant prescribe medication, only give advice, always check with a doc first.

[nightgazer2]

I have yet to see any one mention the fact that some of these individuals who have eating %u201Cdisorders%u201D %u201Cillness%u201D %u201Cdiseases%u201D whatever those of you out there want to label it; struggle with personal emotional and mental issues and that we as parents are first and foremost, first children who are parented and then sent out into the world..hummm. First, I am speaking of personality disorders, physical abuse, sexual abuse, and so on; that has triggered, the control issues, self-esteem and self-image issues, obsessive/self-abusive issues, that we don%u2019t see in some of these people. Sure, there are those out there that are simply just %u201Cdying to be thin%u201D and doing just about anything to do it, self-absorbed. Then I say, if we parent%u2019s should provide the foundation for our children, the importance of acceptances of oneself and those around us regardless of size, color or race, and teach them from the cradle how to eat healthy and staying physical active, healthy on the inside is what is important, and most of the time healthy on the outside follows. Then regardless of the McDonalds down the street, or Dairy Queen, our children would be able to go out there and make the choices to eat healthy, say NO, and come to us for advice, not pics, magazines. They learn from example, and experience. Those children grow into adults and these adults are whom all of use and those out there we are so brutally ripping apart.

[nightgazer2]

Sorry the soap box only allows for 1500 characters%u2026. Sooo; Teaching our children that exercise should be done even when we are at a healthy weight, not only because we are overweight, is a good the baby step, and if there is a medical issue then this is a whole neither can of worms. I could go on and on, the point is, teach our children by actions and words, and when we send them out into the world, these socialites and movie stars, stick thin models won%u2019t be their role models, we will be, their family, or some other healthy role model. But, the real world does not work like this, and the sad truth is, parents don%u2019t teach there babes these things, they stuff cookies and a soda and the tv, videos games in front of them, then wonder why when they are overweight being teased at school or by their peers, why some of them go through such extremes to be perfect, sink into a depressed or act out. They use descriptive words like fat, slob, huge, pig, and so on when looking at themselves and others in public and tv. Wake up parents, stop blaming, and yes, I too do blame the publicity too, they should take part in the weight blame game too. People take responsibility for your own self and teach your children, teach healthy %u201Chabit%u201D, %u201Clife styles%u201D. Get help if needed, no one life is perfect, but the buck stops at home. Thanks for stopping by. Happy Thanksgiving Posters!

[ecuadoriana]

Eliemouse-
You mentioned one of my most favourite movies- "REAL WOMEN HAVE CURVES" !Gracias! chica.

For anyone unfamiliar with the film, it stars America Ferrara, the beautiful young lady who was in "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants" & now stars in the TV show "Ugly Betty". She is a breath of fresh air! Thank goodness someone in Hollywoodland is starting to get some sense.

"Real Women Have Curves" addresses the issue that young girls face concerning their bodies, self image, & self esteem. Her character embraces her voluptuous body & stands strong; she will not allow outside forces to dictate to her what her life should be. She knows who she is, what she wants for her life, & rejects what she knows are false ideals. A telling moment in the film is the realisation that her own mother is dealing with her own personal body image shame & has been placing the blame on the daughter, as though, somehow, the daughter is the one to blame for the mother's wide hips & stretch marks.

Children learn the most at their parent's knee. To "blame" Hollywood, TV, etc. is looking for a scapegoat. Parents have the most influence in their children's lives. Healthy eating habits, family exercise (channel surfing doesn't count as exercise!), work ethic, open & frank communication are the foundation stones to a healthy family.

[ecuadoriana]

If a model insists that she was "forced" to starve to keep her job, she could quit. If you stand strong in who you are then no one can force you to do anything against your principals.