Fearne Cotton has revealed her horror at being used as a role model on pro-anorexia websites.

The 26-year-old made the shocking discovery that a photograph of her was being used on a site as she presented a documentary on the slimming disease and how girls as young as 10 are falling victim to it, according to the Daily Mirror.

Viewers of the documentary, The Truth About Online Anorexia, will tonight see Fearne’s reaction to the shocking discovery.

Programme chiefs find a picture of her at the Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban premiere in 2004 on a pro-anorexia website.

As she recoils in horror she says: ‘Oh my God, what the hell’s my name doing there? That’s the worst thing I’ve ever seen. A picture of me when I was about 20 years old and a bit thinner than I am now.

‘To think girls would use that is horrific. I wish I could take myself off this website.I don’t want to be associated with anything like this.’

The newspaper reports how the TV host meets young girls not yet in their teens who feel they are not skinny enough. They visit pro-anorexia websites to find diets and seek advice from other anorexics on how to lose weight.

Eating disorders

such as anorexia and bulimia have the highest premature death rate of any psychiatric illness: up to one in five sufferers dies within 20 years through suicide and long-term damage.

Cases of anorexia are doubling every decade and about one in every 200 young women is thought to be a sufferer.

According to the newspaper, Fearne tries a diet she finds on a pro-anorexia website – of just a cucumber and an apple per day – but she abandons it by the end of day one.

Shock: Fearne reacts with horror at seeing the old picture of her on the website

The presenter, who interviews doctors and the editor of a pro-anorexia website, slams the website on which she appears alongside other slim celebrities.

She says: ‘I hate the fact that I’m on that site with a bunch of people who probably don’t want to be there also.’

• The Truth About Online Anorexia, tonight, 9pm, ITV1

Unwitting anorexic role model: The ProThinspo website features a picture of Fearne

via: entertainment