Eating Disorder Not To Blame For Actress Britney Murphy’s Death

It is possible for an uber-skinny actress to die at a very young age and not have it related to an eating disorder. And apparently, in Britney Murphy’s case, this is true. At least, according to early reports.

Without quite the drama of Michael Jackson’s autopsy, her cause of death will be investigated for some time – particularly her intake of prescribed medicines. TMZ reported an assortment of around ten drugs, but it will take four to six weeks more for the toxicology tests to reveal the exact cause of the death.

So why do we want to jump in so quickly to point the finger at an eating disorder? I think because those of us who work in the education about eating disorders want to remind everybody else that people do die from anorexia and bulimia. We think if a celebrity dies, it will make that many more people less likely to worship at the celebrity body idol.

If you’re a survivor of an eating disorder, like I am, I think we use stories like this to remind ourselves why we can’t ever go back. The potential consequences are just too risky.

What’s interesting is that just weeks prior to her death, according to the Huffington Post, she suggested that her weight was too low. “I am a bit thinner now than what I would like to be,” Murphy, 32, admitted to Fox News’ Pop Tarts at an event December 3.