Leila Taylor Reveals Struggles with Eating Disorder on Reality TV
During the challenging fourth season of “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives,” reality TV personality Leila Taylor opened up about her years-long battle with an eating disorder. At just 25, she shared that this struggle began in high school.
In one episode, Taylor disclosed her use of GLP-1 and mentioned her height of 5 feet 10 inches paired with a weight of only 99 pounds. She expressed her concerns, saying, “I don’t think my head will ever get small enough.” The model reflected on her daily struggles, noting that her lack of nourishment left her constantly fatigued and in pain. “I literally lie down and my knees hurt when they touch because I don’t have enough fat to cushion my body,” she observed.
“We know it’s gone too far, we’ve gone too far, but we can’t stop it,” she added, highlighting the difficulty of breaking free from her situation.
Modeling Rejections and Self-Confidence Struggles
Taylor’s revelation about her eating disorder came after being rejected for a modeling job, which deeply affected her self-esteem. “If I was turned down by a modeling agency, it means there’s something wrong with me,” she confided to a friend, showcasing her internal struggles. The temptation to think, “I weigh too much, or my face isn’t symmetrical,” has plagued her mind.
She also admitted to using GLP-1 for about a year, initially believing it would help with stubborn weight. “But people don’t talk about how addictive it is and how difficult it is to break free,” she lamented. Taylor pointed out the culture of appearance fixation in Utah, arguing that it intensifies the problem. “I can’t even count how many people I know who are abusing GLP-1 like I am,” she said, underlining the seriousness of this issue.
The Burden of Public Perception
Taylor’s feelings of inadequacy have been compounded by persistent online criticism. “For a long time, I felt like people would call me sick or too skinny. It was almost a dopamine rush—like, someone notices my efforts,” she said, reflecting on the past. However, the accumulation of negative comments has become overwhelming. “Now, I’m starting to get so many comments that I don’t want to post anymore because I can’t run away from it,” she expressed.
In previous seasons, her weight had been a topic of concern among her co-stars. Taylor acknowledged her lifelong skinniness but also admitted to struggling with body image issues. When asked if she still grapples with body dysmorphia, she responded, “Yeah, 100%.” The mention of the word “healthy” triggered her, making her realize the complexity of her relationship with body image. “For some reason, endorphins spike in my twisted brain,” she remarked, illustrating her ongoing battle with her self-perception.
