Duchess of York ‘wanted to be bulimic’ to make her as thin as Diana

 The Duchess of York has disclosed that she once wished she had bulimia, as she struggled with an addiction to food.

The Duchess, who said she had wanted to be as “beautiful and thin” as her then sister-in-law, Diana, Princess of Wales, said she had willed herself to have the eating disorder but did not have “that mental state”.

In an interview about her recovery, she said: “To wish you could have a mental illness to that level is a very serious place to get to.”

In a podcast with Dr Vijay Murthy, who practises holistic medicine and naturopathy and had the Duchess as a client, she said she hoped to be a “human bridge” for listeners suffering from an eating disorder to get help.

She told how she used to be a comfort eater, finding herself in a “dangerous” place.

The Duchess, 57, concluded she was happier and healthier today, after seeking help to overcome food addiction.

“The key is that I used to be a comfort eater,” she said. “I used to eat to put a Band-aid over my emotions and I squashed my feelings through food.

“I never could get bulimia because I just didn’t have that mental state to go that far, but I always wished I could.

“I wanted to seek help. I think the most important thing is to seek help.”