Actor Jameela Jamil revealed that a car accident she had at the age of 17 actually saved her life.
The 33-year-old star, who initiated the campaign 'I Weigh,' on Instagram to encourage women to post images of their accomplishments and not their bodies, feels that back then she was caught up in the unrealistic demands of the modeling industry.
"I only modeled for a while and then I got hit by a car and ended up in a wheelchair, which probably actually saved my life," 'The Good Place' star told Cosmopolitan. in November, reported Us Weekly.
"Otherwise, I would probably still be a model with an eating disorder," she added.
The actor further explained that while she was modeling she was encouraged to smoke, eat only a small amounts of food, "or take a small bag of sweetener around with me so that whenever I felt like I was gonna faint, I would have a little bit of sugar rather than eat any full meals."
Fortunately, the crash left her with months of downtime to reflect and eventually change course.
More From This Section
"I got hit by one car into another car and basically destroyed my back. I was in bed for about a year and in a wheelchair for about six months after that," she continued. "At that point, I had gained about 70 pounds on steroids, so I was 'too big' for modeling."
While she was undergoing treatment and recovery, she grew to realize that she had more self-worth than she knew and she decided to make a switch and stop starving herself for her career.