Actress Jamie-Lynn Sigler would wake up at 4 a.m., head to her basement, and work out for almost three hours every day when she was 16. The demanding routine - combined with a strict diet - continued for months until the 5-foot-6-inch Jamie-Lynn had whittled herself down to a bony 90 pounds. It was clear that she had an eating disorder.

Jamie-Lynn, now 21, stars in a popular cable TV series and has played the title role in productions of The Diary of Anne Frank and Cinderella. But despite her fame, Jamie Lynn wasn't that different from most teenagers. An A student, she faced the challenge of juggling her studies with extracurricular activities. In addition to professional acting, she served on her school's student council and taught a drama class to five-year-olds. She also had the SATs to study for and college to think about. And then there were boys. In 11th grade, she broke up with her first serious boyfriend.

Suddenly, her world seemed to be whirling around; Jamie-Lynn was having trouble dealing with all of her commitments. "I felt like everything in my life was getting out of control," she told Rosie magazine last year. Her self-esteem plummeted, and she began dieting. "Here was one thing I could control... I ate ridiculous meals, and eventually eliminated fat from my diet. I found out later I was consuming only 400 or 500 calories a day, when someone as active as I was should have had about 2,200 calories a day."

After months of denial, Jamie-Lynn finally admitted to herself and to her parents that her dieting and exercise routine was not healthy. "Literally, the second I said, 'I have an eating disorder,' it felt like a ton of bricks had been lifted off my shoulders," she said.

Over the next five months, with the help of a nutritionist and psychotherapist, Jamie-Lynn returned to a healthy lifestyle and regained her confidence. But she wasn't satisfied to help just herself. She wanted to reach out to other kids with eating disorders, and decided to speak publicly about the dangers of excessive dieting and too much exercise.

Jamie-Lynn became a spokesperson for the National Eating Disorders Association and HEED- Helping to End Eating Disorders. She advises kids struggling with an eating disorder to get help. And, she says, self-confidence can help shield you from developing an eating disorder. "Be happy with yourself. Everything begins there," Jamie-Lynn told ChickClick web site. "Everybody is unique, and if you work hard, you can achieve whatever you want."

Every Body’s Beautiful!
It’s no fun to worry all of the time about how much you weigh. Here are some tips for taking care of your body.
• Eat when you’re hungry. Stop eating when you’re full.
• There are no “good” or “bad” foods, so try to eat lots of different foods, including fruits, vegetables, and even sweets.
• If you are sad or mad or have nothing to do—and you are not really hungry—find something to do other than eating.
• Find a sport—like basketball or soccer—or an activity—like dancing or karate—that you like, and do it!
• Remind yourself that healthy bodies and happy people come in all shapes and sizes.
by Michael Levine, Ph.D. Reprinted with permission from the National Eating Disorders Association.