[SallythePearl]

Katharine McPhee is opening up about her five-year battle with bingeing and purging, revealing that the disorder nearly did in her voice. The "American Idol" runner-up, whose first single, "Over the Rainbow," just happens to debut next week, reveals to People that at the lowest point in her struggle with bulimia, she was vomiting up to seven times a day, which she likens to "putting a sledgehammer to your vocal cords."

Food was my crutch," McPhee, 22, admits to the magazine. "It was how I dealt with emotions and uncomfortable situations."

And nothing says "uncomfortable situation" quite like facing Simon Cowell in all his tight-T-shirted glory, so she decided to seek treatment for her problem, which she says was "out of control" when she auditioned in August, before the competition began late last year.

"When I made it onto 'American Idol,' I knew that food -- my eating disorder -- was the one thing really holding me back," McPhee explains. "I was bingeing my whole life away for days at a time ... So when I got on the show, I said, 'You know what? I can do well in this competition. Let me give myself a chance and just get ahold of this thing.'"

To that end, she entered a three-month treatment program in October at L.A.'s Eating Disorder Center of California, where she underwent therapy sessions six days a week.

"I really had to surrender and give up having a free life to do the program, because I'd be there from 9 in the morning until 7 at night," explains McPhee, who says her parents and her actor-boyfriend, Nick Cokas, 41, supported her decision. "I remember that first night, my dad holding me, crying and saying, 'I don't know why you have to suffer through this, but it's going to be okay.'"

The singer says her diminishing figure during the "Idol" run (she lost 30 pounds and dropped three dress sizes) was due to "intuitive eating," a method promoted at the center: "If you look at a doughnut, people think it's a fattening food -- why? Because if you eat it you'll get fat? No, you'll get fat if you eat 10 doughnuts."

Katharine also "learned to deal with my emotions differently, to deal with them, instead of with food." Now, she enthuses to Teen People, "I'm really starting to embrace my curves."

She also credits "AI," a show that isn't always kind to the curvy (Simon, we're looking at you), for saving her life, "because if I hadn't auditioned I don't think I would have gotten a handle on food."
That's sad. I'm glad she is getting better. I can't wait for her album to come out.

[Sapremolz]

What a reoccuring trend. Hey celebrities, if your career is fledgling there's no better way then to reach out and yank that spotlight right back on you then "admitting" you had a eating disorder or drug addiction.

Yay for the yuppies that eat this shit up.

[toyboy]

Wow you have alot of compassion.

[bonyrek]

It's a marketing scheme to gain sympathy and potential buyers for her album via taking advantage of America's need to absorb media spoon fed propaganda.

So no, I don't feel any compassion towards her.

[PetraCromlich]

she dropped weight during american idol? Last time i seen her she was still pretty thick, and had a nice shape. She is so yummy i would eat her, and then of course purge.

[Indinehon]

It's a marketing scheme to gain sympathy and potential buyers for her album via taking advantage of America's need to absorb media spoon fed propaganda.

So no, I don't feel any compassion towards her.

I doubt it be a scheme to gain sympathy.

[Plokiikmol]

I doubt it be a scheme to gain sympathy.

So? Doubt away and buy into it. Your standing means fuck at all to me =)

[foodselfdourileka]

Im with sirus on this one...i read the article a few days ago and practically had the same thoughts going through my head. Also found it odd to find out she's datin someone like 2x her age. But yeah the only reason this story surfaced right now is try and get her name back out in the spotlight so that her album sales would spike up since she "beat the odds", this kinda shit happens all the time.


l8ter