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Nicole Richie is said to have collapsed in LA fashion boutique Kitson on a recent shopping trip, only to refuse food offered by the staff and then sip only water until she felt well enough to stand and walk out.
This incident comes on the heels of her well-documented disintegration from healthy, voluptuous rising star to wafer-thin reality show A-lister. Nicole's father, Lionel Richie, expresses his own fears about his daughter's weight in a recent People magazine interview.
Lionel says he is a "basketcase" over the rumors circling about Nicole's apparent eating disorder and shockingly thin physique. Says Lionel in a candid moment with the magazine about his eldest daughter:
I'll be honest with you. It hurts me more than it hurts her.
And on letting his daughter know his concerns...
What are fathers if you can't point the finger every once in a while? The good part is she is aware of it.
In light of Lionel's outspoken concerns, I can't help but think about the parent-child relationship when facing an eating disorder and what that does to the parents' own sense of self and confidence in their parenting abilities. Lionel calls himself a "basketcase" over his daughter's disorder and I must agree that, assuming Lionel is an incredibly protective, caring and concerned parent, I would find myself feeling similarly out of sorts if one of my children grew up to face such challenges.
The obvious questions arise: Where did I go wrong? Did I not see the warning signs? Did I not fill my children's heads with positive body images and the self-confidence to fight inner doubts and outside pressures?
The truth is, we must love our kids in order for them to love themselves. We must be the first to guide their health choices and let them know that we think they are beautiful, smart, and special. We must praise our own bodies for their abilities to do great things, like go for long runs or lift heavy grocery bags, and not moan and groan over how our bodies look. I honestly believe that if we as parents, show we love our bodies, our children will too.
And, if we feel that we have done this and our children still find themselves struggling to do the same, we must help them and not blame ourselves for what we can not control. What we can control is the amount of love we give our kids and how much we let them know that they are not alone.
My heart goes out to Lionel and his family as they struggle with Nicole's disease and help her to regain her health - both body and mind.
Image from popsugar