Defiant Camila Mendes is ‘done with dieting’

Camila Mendes

Riverdale” star Camila Mendes, who revealed last October that she and an older sister suffered from eating disorders, recently announced on Instagram her decision to embrace a less-strict lifestyle.

“When did being thin become more important than being healthy?” asked Mendes, who plays ex-mean girl Veronica Lodge. “I recently went to a naturopath for the first time in my life. I told her about my anxiety around food, and my obsession with dieting. She phrased a pivotal question in such a way that struck a chord with me: What other things could you be thinking about if you didn’t spend all your time thinking about your diet? I suddenly remembered all the activities I love that used to occupy my time.”

Mendes explained that she allowed her “obsession with being thin” consume her: “I refused to make room in my mind for any other concerns. Somehow, I had stripped myself of all the pastimes that brought me joy … my passion for education, cinema, music, etc… had been eaten away by my desire to be thin.”

She added that every body type is different and subject to factors like genetics. “While eating nutrient-dense foods and exercising regularly will make you healthier, it will not necessarily make you thinner… I’m sick of the toxic narrative that the media consistently feeds us: that being thin is the ideal body type. A healthy body is the ideal body type, and that will look different for every person. I’m #donewithdieting— join me in this movement and share your story!”

Mendes previously joined Project Heal, a nonprofit organization that raises funds for eating disorder treatments, “to help break the stigma.” —OLIVER PULUMBARIT