Riverdale's Camila Mendes Is "Done With Dieting" After Past Experiences With Eating Disorders

"When did being thin become more important than being healthy?" she wrote on Instagram

Camila Mendes is done with dieting.

The 23-year-old Riverdale star made the announcement on Instagram Monday and penned a heartfelt note about her "obsession with being thin."

"When did being thin become more important than being healthy?" she wrote alongside a picture of the #DoneWithDieting hashtag.

The actress then explained she recently visited a naturopathic practitioner and told her about her "anxiety around food" and her "obsession with dieting." The practitioner then asked the young star what else she could be thinking about if she didn't spend time focusing on dieting?  

"I suddenly remembered all the activities I love that used to occupy my time," Mendes wrote. "At some point in my life, I allowed my obsession with being thin to consume me, and I refused to make room in my mind for any other concerns. Somehow I had stripped myself of all the pastimes that brought me joy, and all that was left of me was my anxiety around food. My passion for education, cinema, music, etc.—all the interests that used to occupy my mind—had been eaten away by my desire to be thin, and it made me miserable."

When did being thin become more important than being healthy? I recently went to a naturopath for the first time in my life. I told her about my anxiety around food and my obsession with dieting. She phrased a pivotal question in such a way that struck a chord with me: what other things could you be thinking about if you didn't spend all your time thinking about your diet? I suddenly remembered all the activities I love that used to occupy my time. At some point in my life, I allowed my obsession with being thin to consume me, and I refused to make room in my mind for any other concerns. Somehow I had stripped myself of all the pastimes that brought me joy, and all that was left of me was my anxiety around food. My passion for education, cinema, music, etc. — all the interests that used to occupy my mind — had been eaten away by my desire to be thin, and it made me miserable. I'm done believing in the idea that there's a thinner, happier version of me on the other side of all the tireless effort. Your body type is subject to genetics, and while eating nutrient-dense foods and exercising regularly will make you healthier, it will not necessarily make you thinner, and the current system fails to make that distinction. I’m sick of the toxic narrative that the media consistently feeds us: that being thin is the ideal body type. A healthy body is the ideal body type, and that will look different for every person. I’m #donewithdieting - join me in this movement and share your story!

A post shared by Camila Mendes (@camimendes) on Feb 19, 2018 at 9:13am PST

Mendes then said she was done trying to live up to society's unrealistic body standards. 

"I'm done believing in the idea that there's a thinner, happier version of me on the other side of all the tireless effort," she wrote. "Your body type is subject to genetics, and while eating nutrient-dense foods and exercising regularly will make you healthier, it will not necessarily make you thinner, and the current system fails to make that distinction."

She added, "I'm sick of the toxic narrative that the media consistently feeds us: that being thin is the ideal body type. A healthy body is the ideal body type, and that will look different for every person. I'm #donewithdieting—join me in this movement and share your story!"

This isn't the first time the actress has opened up about her struggles. Back in October, Mendes announced she was getting involved with Project Heal—an organization that helps people with eating disorders obtain treatment. She also opened up about her past experiences with eating disorders.

"I can say from experience that eating disorders are serious mental illnesses," she wrote in a note shared to Instagram. "Growing up, I watched my big sister suffer from one for many years, and I've experienced periods of my life when I've suffered symptoms as well."

Mendes' co-star Lili Reinhart showed her support for Mendes' #DoneWithDieting post by liking it on Instagram.