John Lennon’s ‘eating disorder and food fetish’ revealed in new book

Washington - John Lennon was ‘bulimic’ and ‘confused, shamed and tormented by his eating disorder’, according to a new book.

‘BackStage Pass VIP’, written by journalist and pop culture historian, Debra Sharon Davis, says Lennon was always hungry, loved to eat but “hated the feeling of being full” so he would often force himself to vomit after eating.

“Lennon was confused about his obsession with food,” RadarOnline quoted Davis as saying.

“Lennon was surrounded by talented musicians, but many had drinking and drug problems - so it was hard for them to see Lennon’s purging behaviour as extraordinary.

“One must also realize that at that time the public and the media were unaware of bulimia as an addiction and health risk - which made it all the more frightening for John Lennon. He literally had no point-of-reference on what he was experiencing,” she said.

The book offers never-before-released interviews with Lennon’s close friend, the late singer/songwriter, Harry Nilsson, who shared his insights with the author in the 1980s.

“John and I were having a heart-to-heart. Then all of a sudden John went off about how powerful men had ravenous appetites and wanted to swallow the world whole,” Nilson said.

“And he thought that was why he had this horrible problem - being hungry all the time and overeating. He said he often fantasized about large quantities of ‘forbidden’ foods.

“He said food was ‘sacred’ to him and it frightened him. He saw it as ‘a great weakness’ and he referred to it as ‘a lack of discipline,” the songwriter added.

Davis says that the Beatles member “privately harboured food fetishes”.

“Lennon loved eating huge bowls of Rice Krispies with large scoops of ice cream on top. He enjoyed putting ice cream on everything when he could.

“There were also numerous bowls of snacks throughout his grand estate, Tittenhurst Park, near Ascot when he lived in England in the late 1960s and early 1970s,” she said.

According to her, the book aims to present the human side of celebrities to the general public.

“It is meant to empower everyday people to feel better about themselves and their own achievements by realizing that even great, beloved talents like John Lennon were flawed heroes who wrestled with challenges,” Davis said.