For many fans, Mel C is the vision of health, but the former Spice Girls singer has admitted her early days of fame were marred by a battle with an eating disorder.

In an essay for BBC's Good FoodMel recalled how her hectic entry into the limelight warped her relationship with food, and that her struggle lasted for some time.

"I joined the Spice Girls when I was 20 and it was an insane time," she said. "I developed an eating disorder; I was in the spotlight, being photographed constantly, and I started to become self-conscious of my body image. I was in denial for a long time but I always wanted to get better — I had talking therapies and holistic therapies, like acupuncture. Sport became really important to me too."

In the years since going Hollywood, Mel said she's learned how to heal, and that her current diet is based on staying healthy and respecting her body.

"I love to be physically fit and, obviously, to really push yourself, you have to make sure you eat the right things," she said. "I like to think I have a healthy relationship with food now, and I love to cook. We’re so much more aware of nutrition nowadays. When I was a teenager, I didn’t know the difference between a protein and a carb. We need to get back to realizing that we are what we eat."

Mel previously addressed the pressures of celebrity culture in an August interview with LOVEduring which she said her views on the role of musician have changed drastically across years in the industry.

"My relationship with fame has changed over the years and at times of personal struggle…when you’d rather nobody knew who you were I’d have to remind myself that without fame from the band it would be far more difficult for me to do the thing that I love,” she said. "[But] I’m a singer and songwriter. Not a celebrity."

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