Natasha Henstridge Says She Damaged Her Body With Diets
Posted on Jun 2nd 2009 3:00PM by Jacki Donaldson
Quick-fix diets and wonder weight loss pills might seem innocent enough, but they're not, says actress Natasha Henstridge, who reveals that yo-yo dieting has done long-term damage to her body.
"My body's definitely gone through a change since coming off all the crazy yo-yo stuff," says the 34-year-old actress, whose body is a lot more curvaceous now than it was in the 1995 sci-fi thriller "Species." That was one killer bod. Unfortunately, there was just nothing natural -- or healthy -- about it.
Henstridge says Hollywood drove her to take drastic measure to be skinny. "There's always pressure in this business to stay thin to the degree that I've done some things that probably weren't the smartest things in the world," she says about taking over-the-counter diet pills and Chinese herbs, which ultimately slowed her metabolism and caused her to gain weight.
"Those things have a huge effect on your metabolism and all of a sudden, when you decide to go clean and healthy, things are changing in your body because you've done a little bit of damage," says the mom of two, who is clean and healthy now -- she keeps active with mountain biking and boot camp workouts, and she was recently spotted with fiancé Darius Danesh taking a trapeze class.
Check out the gallery below for more extreme celebrity diets.
Unhealthy Celeb Diets
It's no surprise that skipping meals is one extreme way some celebs lose weight. But the article claims that Paris Hilton starves herself because she was once spotted in a Manhattan restaurant drinking Red Bull and water instead of ordering a meal. We'd love to see Paris gain some weight, but skipping a meal does not equal a pattern of starvation. Bottom line: Extreme calorie-cutting may work in the short-term but sending your body into starvation mode usually means overeating (and weight gain) is just around the corner.
John Parra, WireImage.com
Britney Spears gets called out for taking Adderall, a drug used in treating attention-deficit disorder. Adderall abuse is certainly on the rise and one reason is its side effect, loss of appetite. Because the drug can act as an appetite suppressant and Britney takes it, the article concluded she uses it as a diet aid. Bottom line: Take prescription drugs as directed by your doctor. Why? Adderall's other side effects include addiction, depression and psychosis.
Toby Canham, Getty Images
Mary-Kate Olsen gets a smackdown for her coffee-habit. The article claims Hollywood is in the grips of a trend where stars drink the caffeinated stuff to boost metabolism and suppress appetite. while Mary-Kate is often photographed with coffee, we're not sure how much she consumes or how it figures into her weight control. Peterson's scary story about a starving star who drinks coffee instead of eating has nothing to do with Mary-Kate. Bottom line: While drinking coffee can result in a slight metabolism increase, you'd get a better boost (and fewer jitters) from exercising more and cutting a few calories from your diet.
Marcel Thomas, FilmMagic.com
Once photographed jogging with weights in both hands, Teri Hatcher is labeled an overexerciser. We're in total agreement that this TV star is borderline skeletal and that running with weights is a no-no, but the since we didn't talk to her (and neither did their reporter), we can't comment on whether her exercise routine is unhealthy or not. We do know that we'd like her to put on a few pounds. Bottom line: Exercise is key for weight control and overall health, but when it rises to the level of obsession -- an increasing problem -- it's time to seek professional help.
Eric Charbonneau, WireImage.com
Jared Leto is on the list for using the Master Cleanse to lose the weight he gained to play Mark Chapman in the new film "Chapter 27." Peterson tells a horror story about a client (not Leto) who got sick using the juice fast. We don't disagree that the diet is sketchy; if used for more than a few days, it can be outright dangerous. Bottom line: Liquid diets should only be used when under a doctor's care.
Steve Granitz, WireImage.com
Marcia Cross has been very honest about the pressure in Hollywood to be thin, and was recently quoted saying, "It's like they pay me not to eat." Maybe that's why she was spotted by an "insider" drinking juice in a restaurant while her husband ate a full meal. Bottom line: Many celebrities may feel their jobs rest on how they look, but a lot of stars aren't going to diet extremes. Need inspiration? Look to the celebs losing weight the right way.
Charley Galla, WireImage.com
The fact that Lindsay Lohan was found in possession of cocaine doesn't mean she's thin because of drug use as the 'Daily News' would like you to think. We certainly can't make a case for Lohan being a responsible person with good judgment considering her recent trouble with the law but we won't jump to conclusions about how she maintains her weight. Bottom line: Using drugs won't necessarily make you thin. It's never a good idea to use any illegal substances.
Tony Barson, WireImage.com
