Zayn Malik Reveals He Suffered from an Eating Disorder in 2014

"I'd just go for days—sometimes two or three days straight—without eating anything at all."

By Mehera Bonner

Nov 1, 2016

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Former One Direction member Zayn Malik just debuted his new book Zayn, and in it he opens up about some pretty serious personal issues. Namely, his battle with an eating disorder, which he said was less about weight loss and more about control.

"When I look back at images of myself from around November 2014, before the final tour, I can see how ill I was. Something I've never talked about in public before, but which I have come to terms with since leaving the band, is that I was suffering from an eating disorder...It wasn't as though I had any concerns about my weight or anything like that, I'd just go for days—sometimes two or three days straight—without eating anything at all. It got quite serious, although at the time I didn't recognize it for what it was. I didn't feel like I had control over anything else in my life, but food was something I could control, so I did. I had lost so much weight I had become ill. The workload and the pace of life on the road put together with the pressures and strains of everything going on within the band had badly affected my eating habits."

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The singer warned fans via Instagram that his book would tackle some intense subjects, and assured everyone that he's doing just fine now.

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Zayn's girlfriend Gigi Hadid has yet to comment on his eating disorder, but she's lent her support to him in the past—particularly when he opened up about anxiety. At the time she said, "Your bravery in those times makes me proud."