Former England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff’s new documentary is taking the internet by storm after it released on Monday in which he has opened up on his 20-year ongoing battle with bulimia.
Bulimia is an eating disorder characterized by binge eating followed by purging, something which Flintoff claims he still does sometimes so that he doesn’t put on more weight.
“I’ve had periods where I’ve not done it for a long time and I’ve had periods when I’ve done it. I’ve done it this year. It’s not right, is it? I know it’s not right but I can’t say for certain when it’s going to stop,” Flintoff revealed in the BBC documentary.
Flintoff also shed light on the origins of the disease and when he first realised that he was suffering from bulimia. The 42-year-old admitted that being teased as a “fat cricketer” during the initial stage of his international career took a toll on him.
“That’s when I started, that’s when I became aware I put this weight on. I was in decent nick and I put a little bit of size on, I just didn’t see it coming.
“Something changed in my mind where I was acutely aware of it but worse than everyone else was aware of it. I became known as a fat cricketer really, that was horrible,” Flintoff said.
Flintoff, who made his debut for England in 1998, also explained in detail about how it felt after purging, which is when a person deliberately vomits after meals to induce weight loss.
“Your eyes are just bloodshot, your eyes have gone. If I didn’t do it, I didn’t feel any good about myself – it wasn’t about my weight, it was just how it made me feel.
“Shape is something I’m heavily aware off. Having been big before I never want to experience it again. I will always be overweight – it’s not in my mind, I will,” Flintoff said.
Flintoff confirmed that his battle with the illness has continued beyond the end of his playing career, and that he has made himself sick after eating within the last year.
However, having learned how dangerous the condition can be, Flintoff was contemplating seeking professional help going forward.
Flintoff went on to play 79 Tests, 141 ODIs and 7 T20Is for England before retiring from international cricket in 2009.
He amassed 3845 runs in Test cricket at 31.77 with 5 hundreds, 3394 runs in ODI at 32.01 with 3 centuries and 76 runs in T20Is. He also bagged 226 wickets in Tests, 169 scalps in ODIs and 5 in the shortest format for his country.
