Taylor Swift's Body Dysmorphia Caused Significant Issues In Her Life, Here's How She Battled It

Summary

• Taylor Swift's massive ticket sales and popularity on her 2023 Eras tour solidify her status as an unmatched pop sta.
• Swift's documentary, Miss Americana, revealed her struggles with body dysmorphia.
• Over time, Swift found healing by recognizing the unrealistic beauty standards imposed on celebrities.

After her massive 2023 Eras tour, it's hard to say if any other pop star will ever match Taylor Swift when it comes to ticket sales and popularity. Fans were emotional about getting the chance to stand in a huge crowd and sing along to the music that they have been playing nonstop ever since each album release.

While Taylor Swift is absolutely living out her dream, things haven't always been calm and painless in her life. When she was younger, she suffered from body dysmorphia, which made her daily life tough. Here's how the singer got over this challenging condition.

When Did Taylor Swift Struggle With Body Dysmorphia?

Taylor Swift's fans learned that she had body dysmorphia when she talked about it in her Netflix documentary, Miss Americana. She shared that it was difficult to hear the harsh things that strangers and the media said about her body.

While it was sad to listen to her tell her story, the singer's fans were immediately sympathetic. With today's 24-hour media cycle and countless podcasts, social media accounts, and blogs, it has become increasingly hard to be a celebrity.

In an interview with Variety in January 2020, Swift talked about her body dysmorphia and said that things got really bad when she was 18 years old.

Swift explained, “I remember how, when I was 18, that was the first time I was on the cover of a magazine. And the headline was like ‘Pregnant at 18?’ And it was because I had worn something that made my lower stomach look not flat. So I just registered that as a punishment. And then I’d walk into a photo shoot and be in the dressing room and somebody who worked at a magazine would say, ‘Oh, wow, this is so amazing that you can fit into the sample sizes. Usually we have to make alterations to the dresses, but we can take them right off the runway and put them on you!’"

Swift added that the positive comments made her feel good. She said, "And I looked at that as a pat on the head. You register that enough times, and you just start to accommodate everything towards praise and punishment, including your own body.”

According to NHS.uk, if someone has body dysmorphia, they could carefully choose outfits to wear so they look a certain way, and they are preoccupied with their physical appearance. They might not want to look in the mirror, or they might look in the mirror all the time. They might also focus on certain body parts.

NHS.uk noted that someone who suffers from this condition could take SSRIs if they are also depressed, or they could speak to a counselor who specializes in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.

In the past, Swift has talked about the downsides of being such a big celebrity. It would be hard for anyone to watch their career totally blow up at such a young age. While of course there are a lot of exciting things that come with that, it's hard to no longer be anonymous.

In 2014, she was interviewed by ABC News and was very vulnerable about what she went through.

She said, "It's a social situation every time I go out. I just have to wake up in the morning and say, 'How am I feeling today? If someone asks for a picture, am I gonna feel imposed upon today because I'm dealing with my own stuff? Am I gonna take my own stuff out on some innocent 14-year-old today and be in a bad mood?' OK, maybe not … Maybe I won't leave the house."

How Did Taylor Swift Recover From Her Body Dysmorphia?

As time went on, Taylor Swift realized that she wasn't in a great place and that her mindset was making it difficult for her to be happy. As people who have struggled with eating disorders know, constantly thinking about food, weight, and working out can take a huge toll.

Swift shared the ways that she was able to get past her body dysmorphia a few times in her documentary Miss Americana. In one scene, she said that she realized that she couldn't please everyone because people would have different opinions about the so-called "ideal" body type.

Swift said, "There's always some standard of beauty that you're not meeting. Because, if you're thin enough, then you don't have that a** that everybody wants. But if you have enough weight on you to have an a**, then your stomach isn't flat enough. It's all just f*cking impossible."

In another scene, the singer talked about how for a while, she didn't eat enough at all. This caused problems when she was performing since, of course, she lives an incredibly busy lifestyle and she needs fuel for it all.

She explained, “I thought that I was supposed to feel like I was going to pass out at the end of the show, or in the middle of it. “Now, I realize, no, if you eat food, have energy, get stronger, you can do all these shows..."

Considering the fact that Taylor Swift just finished her massive and beloved 2023 Eras tour, it's definitely a good thing that she was able to move past her body struggles. It would have been very challenging to keep performing night after night if she wasn't eating.

Taylor Swift Lives A Healthy Lifestyle Today

Taylor Swift's body dysmorphia seems to be much better now. In the years since her documentary became available on Netflix, she has continued to thrive in her career and seems incredibly happy.

It sounds like the singer enjoys ensuring that cardio is part of her schedule. According to Marie Claire, Taylor Swift enjoys going for runs. She also likes working out at Body By Simone, a studio in New York City that has dance cardio and full-body workouts.

Swift continues to talk about body image, which is helpful for her fanbase who have likely gone through similar struggles. People often feel much better when they talk about a difficult experience or something that has been bothering them. It might be helpful for the singer to share her thoughts on this subject as well.

In October 2022, she shared the music video for her hit single "Anti-Hero" from her latest album "Midnights." In one scene, Swift stands on a scale that says "FAT." Right away, people took issue with this and thought that she was wrong to include this word.

The Guardian reported that after Swift heard feedback from her fans, she made sure that the word was removed from the video.