Hilaria Baldwin reflects on past eating disorder battle and toothpaste calorie fears

Hilaria Baldwin opened up about her decades-long battle with eating disorders, revealing that her struggles began when she was just five years old. Speaking on Page Six Radio, the 42-year-old Dancing with the Stars alum shared that she coped with multiple severe conditions over a 20-year period. "I did anorexia, I did bulimia, I did overeating, I did undereating, did all of it," Baldwin explained. "I started dieting when I was 5. I looked back, and I was like, ‘I looked fine.’ But," she said, "I thought I was like a whale. There was something broken inside of me."

The media personality described how extreme her anxiety around food became at the peak of her disorder. "I’m afraid of how many calories might be in toothpaste," Baldwin recalled, characterizing those intrusive thoughts as "insanity." She noted that the illness severely restricted her daily life, making social interactions exceptionally hard. "I don’t want to live this way. I’m miserable. I can’t have good relationships. I can’t have good friendships. I can’t go out to dinner with people. It’s just like so, so, so stressful," she reflected.

ADHD focus and desire for family sparked recovery

Baldwin credited her ADHD diagnosis and a strong determination to heal with helping her actively address her disordered habits. She explained that her tendency to hyperfocus turned into a tool to solve her mental health struggles. Additionally, her ambition to become a mother motivated her to seek help before having children. "I wanted to make sure that I healed that before I had kids, because I didn’t want to pass on my habits," said Baldwin, who shares seven children—Carmen, Rafael, Leonardo, Romeo, Eduardo, María, and Ilaria—with husband Alec Baldwin.

Through her recovery, Baldwin learned to reframe her mindset around nutrition by focus-shifting to "not being afraid of things" and finding a comfortable balance. "Feed yourself with mostly good things," she advised. "Open up a pint of ice cream sometimes and take out a spoon, but be aware of your body."

Teaching children balance over food shame

Today, Baldwin focuses on fostering a healthy, positive relationship with food for her children rather than imposing strict restrictions. She revealed that she works to empower her kids by encouraging them to consider how different foods affect their energy and strength.

While admitting that she doesn't love when her kids occasionally eat processed snacks like Cheetos, she stressed that the family avoids food shaming. "We don't shame it. It's not a regular thing. It's like a balance thing," Baldwin stated, emphasizing the importance of teaching moderation without guilt.