This week, Demi Lovato made headlines after she checked into a medical center on to get professional help for eating disorders.  A fight with a back-up dancer prompted her to check into rehab for ‘emotional and physical’ issues, which also stemmed from teenage bullying.

Demi, 18, had reportedly been struggling with her weight for quite some time.  “She definitely had body-image issues. She was always conscious of her weight,” the family friend said.  “Like many other teenage girls, she struggled a lot to fit in and find acceptance.

“She fought through eating disorders and has struggled with cutting. [She] is taking control by getting help.”

Why is this continuing to happen to our young girls?  Demi’s troubles are yet another example of how our young women today struggle with poor body image and self-acceptance because of an unhealthy body image in the media.

The singer-actress has recently said, “Feeling comfortable in your clothes is something I deal with to this day. I wish I had somebody I had to look up to when I was younger to stand up and say, ‘Hey, I have fat days.’  So I want to be able to start a foundation or something that’s for girls feeling confident, to empower them.”

Demi’s father also spoke openly about his daughter, blaming the pressure of Hollywood on his daughter’s issues.

Other celebrities who have struggle with weight issues:

Megan Fox?

Megan fox said of teen girls, “Girls go through different phases when they’re growing up, when they’re miserable and do different things, whether it’s an eating disorder or they dabble in cutting.”

She never confirmed whether she battled an eating disorder but said, “If I did talk about it, I’d be taking on a role-model status, and I’d have to choose my words very carefully, and I’d have to make sure I reveal it in a specific way, and I don’t want to do it.”

Lady Gaga?

If Lady Gaga’s former tour manager is to be believed, America’s favorite musical fashion queen is suffering from a serious eating disorder and was hospitalized at least six times in 2009.

“When I say she was sick, I mean physically and mentally,” David Ciemny claims in a new unauthorized tell-all “Poker Face: The Rise and Rise of Lady Gaga,” according to RadarOnline.

The book, written by New York Post veteran reporter Maureen Callahan, interviewed 50 friends, employees, rivals, and music industry veterans, to try and get a fuller picture of the star who grew up as Stefani Germanotta.

Ciemny recalled being on tour with Gaga who would “binge on sweets and unhealthy food, then not eat for weeks to fit into her costumes – one time losing 20 pounds between fittings,” reports Radar.

Gaga’s reps have not confirmed or denied these accusations  but whether or not the celebrity is suffering from an eating disorder, we hope she gets the help she needs.

Portia de Rossi

Former ‘Ally McBeal’ actress Portia de Rossi admitted to an eating disorder and blamed Hollywood’s pressure to stay skinny for developing an eating disorder. She was on Ellen just recently talking about her eating disorder very openly. The actress has spoken about those days she spent eating less than 300 calories, bingeing, and purging.

At one low point, the actress found herself at an alarming 82 pounds. Hollywood loves to reward weight loss, but sometimes the stars take it too far. With therapy and emotional support from wife Ellen De Generes, Portia is back to her current 125-pound weight and hopes to keep improving.

Eating Disorders and the Media

Eating Disorders: The facts and how to get help

Photos: Wikipedia