Warning: This article contains discussion of eating disorders which some readers may find distressing.
The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star Layla Taylor has candidly opened up about her eating disorder in a new social media post.
Taking to Instagram earlier this week, the 25-year-old reality TV star shared two short clips showing a 'side-by-side' comparison along with the caption: "For the past two years, I’ve been struggling silently with an eating disorder I believed I had left behind in high school."
Taylor explained that she had been suffering with her eating disorder 'far before' she started using GLP-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1s), which Gov.uk outlines are highly effective medications for type 2 diabetes and obesity that mimic a natural hormone to regulate blood sugar, reduce appetite, and promote fullness.
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Common examples include semaglutide (Wegovy, Ozempic) and tirzepatide (Mounjaro), administered via weekly injections or daily pills. Taylor didn't state which GLP-1 she had been taking in the post.
Her caption continued: "It’s been lonely and exhausting, fighting a battle in my own brain while trying to show up like everything is okay and receive comments daily on my body. Recovery has been messy and far from linear. Some days feel strong, and others feel really heavy."
"I’m still in treatment and no longer on the medication. I’m still learning how to choose self-love over self-criticism. Even this video seeing my body side-by-side is triggering; But I’m still fighting — not just for me, but because my boys deserve a healthy, present mum. So grateful for those in my life that helped me through that low time."
The mum-of-two rounded off: "Thank you for the kindness, grace, and support. It means more than you know."
Taylor's post came after the release of the latest season of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives.
In season four, which landed last week (12 March), the MomTok star explained how her eating disorder began.
"I used to have anorexia. I got pregnant with my first son when I was 19," she shared in a confessional. "Naturally, there was a baby inside of me that I had to care for. I feel like I healed for a little bit.
"Then I got pregnant again and didn't spiral then. After, me and my ex separated, that's when I felt like I started to get back into those old ways."
Another scene saw Taylor admit to recently weighing herself, explaining to co-stars Miranda McWhorter and Jessi Ngatikaura that she weighed 99 pounds.
"I don't think I'll ever be small enough in my head," Taylor explained with a confessional seeing her reveal that she had been using weight loss drugs for about a year.
"I initially got on them because I stubborn weight that I couldn't get off," she said. "People don't talk about how addicting this is and how hard it is to get off. It's just this ever-living thing that's so negative and especially negative here in Utah.
"People are obsessed with how they look."
A Novo Nordisk spokesperson told Tyla in a statement: "Patient safety is of the utmost importance to Novo Nordisk. We recommend people take these medications for their approved indications only and under the supervision of a healthcare professional.
"Treatment decisions should be made together with a healthcare provider who can evaluate the appropriateness of using a GLP-1 based on assessment of a patient’s individual medical profile."
Tyla has also reached out to Eli Lilly for comment.
If you've been affected by any of the issues in this article and would like to speak with someone in confidence, call the BEAT Eating Disorders helpline on 0808 801 0677. Helplines are open 3pm-8pm Monday to Friday. Alternatively, you can try the one-to-one webchat.
Topics: The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, Celebrity, Health, Mental Health, TV And Film, Reality TV
Rhiannon Ingle