Tom Daley: Diving career gave me eating disorder

Olympic diver Tom Daley has opened up about how his sports career led to him developing an eating disorder.

The 27-year-old gold medallist recently admitted he “used to make myself throw up” back in 2012, which is the same year he won a bronze medal the men’s 10-metre platform at the London Olympics and he has now admitted that the pressure to be seen in just tight swimming pants in front of the world led to him developing his issues with eating.

In an interview with the Metro newspaper, he said: “I’ve not talked about it for so long, mainly because I always felt like I couldn’t say anything about it. Men don’t have eating disorders or trouble with body image, especially in sport.

“There’s nowhere to hide in my trunks on the diving board and people can tell if you’ve had something on the weekend – you come in and you’re heavier.

“It’s this constant thing of wanting to look your best. So it was a challenge but lots of people suffer similar things and it’s really important to shine a light on that.”

According to the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders (ANAD), eating disorders affect 9 per cent of the global population. One in three people suffering is male.

In his new autobiography ‘Coming Up for Air’ Daley reflects on the difficulties he faced being in the public eye whilst figuring out his sexuality.

Daley – who started his Olympic career at just 14 – has become an inspiration for many due to his honesty about his sexuality as one of the most high-profile British sports people and he feels responsible to “shine a light on issues”.

Daley – who is married to American Oscar-winning film screenwriter, director and producer Dustin Lance Black – said: “I feel like as an out queer person at the highest level of my sport I have a responsibility to shine a light on issues I feel passionate about.

“Although there were more out athletes in the last Olympics compared with all of the others combined, there are still 10 countries where it’s punishable by death.”

At the moment, Daley is unsure if he wants to continue competing as a professional diver, and he has ambitions to make it as a major TV star.

He said: “I’d also love to be a knitwear designer and a TV host doing LGBT documentaries, sport or Saturday night, shiny floor entertainment.”