Olivia Ponton Says It Took ‘Many, Many Years’ to Overcome Her Eating Disorders. Now, ‘I’ve Never Felt Better’

Vanessa EtienneMon, October 12, 2026 at 9:30 PM UTC

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Olivia PontonCredit: Steve Eichner/Variety via Getty -

Olivia Ponton said it took years for her to overcome her past eating disorders

The model now prioritizes sleep, high-protein meals and consistent workouts as part of her health routine

She shared her experience to warn followers about restrictive eating and encourage those seeking support

Olivia Ponton is getting candid about her past struggle with eating disorders.

On Saturday, Oct. 10, the model and influencer, 24, posted a TikTok video and gave insight into her experience with anorexia and body image, hoping to help any of her followers who are struggling.

“Being anorexic, nine times out of 10, is not going to give you the body that you’re craving or desiring. And as someone who has struggled with many, many, many forms of eating disorders, specifically anorexia, I want to talk about this,” she said. “I feel like a huge misconception about models or people that have to make their body look a certain way for their job is that we don’t eat. And that couldn’t be further from the truth.”

“When people think that you are anorexic, it automatically means that you’re going to be the skinniest, and look the best that you’ve ever looked. Example, for me, when I was going through the height of my eating disorders, I have never looked worse,” she added.

Ponton said that today, she prioritizes her sleep, eating three to four high-protein meals a day, working out consistently and cutting out sugary drinks. Now that she does those things, she’s at her healthiest.

“I have never felt better and I’ve never looked better,” she said. “And trust me when I say, that took many many years to get to.”

Ponton said the reason she talks so much about eating disorders on her platform is because she wishes she was following someone on social media who spoke about the dangers of restrictive eating while she was actively going through it herself.

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“I hope this helps somebody that’s watching this right now,” she added.

Ponton has long been transparent about her health on social media and previously shared how her growth as an influencer actually contributed to her developing an eating disorder.

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Olivia PontonCredit: Cindy Ord/Getty

In 2023, during an episode of Emily Ratajkowski’s High LowWith EmRatapodcast, she admitted that she “never had an eating disorder before I had social media.”

“Once I started posting in bikinis, everyone had things to say about my body… so many negative thoughts were always surrounding my body… I started actually hating the way I looked,” she said. “I thought, for the longest time, I’ll get super skinny and then that will solve all my problems.”

At the time, Ponton said she’s grateful to have developed a healthier relationship with food. She said “healthy for everyone looks totally different,” but that she’s happy with her new path.

If you or someone you know is struggling with an eating disorder, The Alliance for Eating Disorders provides a fully-staffed helpline at 1-866-662-1235, as well as free, therapist-led support groups.

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”