Hayden Panettiere graces the September 2012 cover of Women’s Health magazine and discusses the body issues she battled during her teen years.
The actress has been around the business long enough to know what kind of pressure Hollywood can put on a person and what it really takes to be comfortable in her own skin.
She began modeling at age one and developed body dysmorphia as a teen, obsessing over flaws like cellulite. This led to yo-yo dieting.
Hayden admits, “I found out that when I’m overly concerned about what I eat, I stress out my body and put on weight.”
The 23-year-old has discovered a few truths in the past few years, “People can tell when you’re happy with being you and when you’re not. It’s only cheesy because it’s true. As I’ve gotten older and grown into my body, I’ve started realizing that the way you carry yourself and that light coming out of your eyes are the most attractive things about you.”
Panettiere will portray a rising country singer in the new ABC musical-drama television series ‘Nashville,’ set to premiere Oct. 10.
More photos of Hayden below:
Photo Credit: Women’s Health-WENN