'I was brought up to feel fat'

Jane Fonda opens up in revealing new interview...

09:35 09 August 2011

Jane Fonda has spoken of how her fatherÂ’s comments about her size as a girl gave her an obsession with her weight and looks.

The Klute actress said that she suffered from bulimia and anorexia due to the criticism of her body by her father, and it wasn't until much later in life that she could deal with it.

In a revealing interview with You magazine, the star said:

"I was brought up to feel fat, though my father wouldn't tell me directly - he'd get one of his wives to tell me that I shouldn't wear a bikini.

"One day, I overheard him talking about me and I can't even tell you what he said because it traumatised me and I can't pretend I'll ever get over it."

The Barbarella star went onto to say:

"So I was the product of objectifying parents and also a product of the '50s, when the way a woman looked was so important. It's why I pay attention to my appearance now.

"I believed that to be loved you had to be perfect, and even though I've got over that now, it took a long time."

Fonda also discussed the effects of her conditions on her relationships:

"I went through phases of bingeing and purging and it was many years before I could sit at a table without feeling any anxiety.

"Bulimia is very easy to hide, but you can't be intimate with people if you're an addict."

Jane won two Academy Awards for her roles in Klute and Coming Home.