“American Idol” runner-up Katharine McPhee struggled with an eating disorder that could have ruined her vocal cords, the singer told People magazine.
McPhee said she fought bulimia for five years, vomiting as many as seven times a day when the disease was at its worst. McPhee calls the disorder “putting a sledgehammer to your vocal chords,” and says making the cut for “Idol” was part of why she sought treatment.
“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,’ ” McPhee told People. ” ‘Let me give myself a chance and just get ahold of this thing.’ “
Three months of group and individual therapy helped McPhee regain control, she said, and taught her the “intuitive eating” approach she now follows.
“That’s why I say ‘American Idol’ saved my life,” she said. “Because if I hadn’t auditioned, I don’t think I would have gotten a handle on food.”
