A Look At Lily Allen's Dramatic Transformation

Lily Allen's past eating disorder is one of the singer's most tragic life stories. She grappled with her illness around the release of her second album. "I used to vomit after meals," she said in her documentary "From Riches to Rags." Although her health improved over the years, the "Not Fair" singer had fans talking online again when she posted a selfie on her Instagram in October 2024. Allen's slim physique made fans wonder if history was repeating itself when it came to her health.

Some of her followers ignored the white dress Allen showed off and focused on her body, which they felt looked unhealthy. According to news.com.au, fans either voiced their concerns or replied to her photo with backhanded compliments, before Allen turned off her comment section. "Please look after yourself!" one user reportedly posted. Another user asked, "You're beautiful but I'm worried, are you OK?" Others took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to critique Allen's physique. "Way too thin," an X user wrote about the idol.

However, this wasn't the first time Allen came across this kind of criticism. In a 2023 interview with Glamour, the outlet mentioned a time Allen said her thinness was due to exercise and healthy habits and not a cause for concern. Then, the actor revealed how she handled social media comments about her looks. "I think it's just all nonsense," she said. "I shouldn't let any of that stuff affect me quite frankly. Yes, people do like to comment on the way that people look on social media. Yeah, it's so destructive and I wish that I didn't interact with it. But sometimes I'm not very good at not reacting."

If you need help with an eating disorder, or know someone who does, help is available. Visit the National Eating Disorders Association website or contact NEDA's Live Helpline at 1-800-931-2237. You can also receive 24/7 Crisis Support via text (send NEDA to 741-741).

A lifestyle choice that contributed to Lily Allen's dramatic transformation is her devotion to sobriety. Allen (who married actor David Harbour in 2020) used to live with a drug and alcohol addiction that negatively impacted every area of her life. Her alcoholism started when Allen was in school. As a young adult, she turned to drugs like Adderall to help her lose weight, and became too dependent on the medication. It was only after she hit rock bottom that Allen found the strength to change. "I lost my marriage. I lost my house that I worked for 10 years to buy. My career started sinking. And I lost all my friends. ... I was so resentful. So angry all the time. Really felt like the world owed me stuff," she said on "The Recovery" podcast, later adding, "And that went on for another four years."

Allen lived in a completely different world after becoming sober. Sobriety improved both her health and relationships. For instance, she began exercising regularly with workouts such as pilates, which some consider the ultimate workout. Allen gushed to Glamour, "I don't think I'd be married to my husband. I don't think that my kids would be thriving in the way that they are. I don't think that I'd have gone into finding acting and how much I enjoy that. I definitely wouldn't be getting as much sleep. I go to the gym four times a week. Pretty much every aspect of my life has changed as a result of my sobriety." 

If you or anyone you know needs help with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).