Ricki Lake ties sexual abuse to weight gain
Categories: Health & safety, Celeb parenting, In the news
I love Ricki Lake. I was never a big fan of her daytime talk show (I never watched any of the others either) but I loved her as an actress and as a person. Ricki stood up for women and self-esteem everywhere, and when she lost more than half her body weight in a bid to get healthy, I was right there with the rest of the country cheering her on.
Now Ricki has come forward about why she thinks she gained all the weight, which at one point toppled at 260 pounds. She says she was sexually abused as a child which may have lead to the excess weight. As with many victims of abuse Ricki didn't want to talk about it or admit it happened.
Ricki lived in silence for "15 or 20 years" before telling her parents what happened. They acted quickly and took Ricki's abuser out of her life. Ricki said food became a comfort for her.
For several years now Ricki has shed the weight and hopefully the sense of shame that accompanies so many victims of abuse. She is a successful actor and mother. Hopefully, now that she has decided to let the world know her pain, she can move on and enjoy being both of those things.
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Reader Comments (Page 2 of 4)
Kim 11-28-2007 @ 4:08PM
Blessings to you Ricki. I too was sexually abused as a child. Five years worth. The wall you build and the silence you vow is to keep yourself exsistant. I didn't gain almost 100 lbs until 20 years later as memories and nightmares surfaced, but after much therapy I am certain that the food was a comfort. Not having anyone look at me was comforting. Thank God my husband loves me and hung on throughout the weight gain. I knew that so eating became a safe way to hide from the world. It wasn't until after the birth of my daughter that I began reliving what had happened to me. There was no mother, sisters or others to go to. Mom and sisters were aware of the abuse as it happened. I've learned to no blame them, it was about survival then. It was about mom turning the other cheek or going without food and a place to live. I can forgive because my life is wonderful now and if I hadn't gone through what I had I'd be in a different place. Never to have met my husband and never to have my beautiful children. It took years for me to come to this resultion. It took year of overeating to realize that I am worth so much more. Not my fault, I survived and now I can like myself and take care of me for a while. I am a great Mom and so smart about my kids, they wont travel the road or make the mistakes I did. The journey was worth that.
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DEBBIE 11-28-2007 @ 4:22PM
people responding to this article need to remember that not everyone handles and reacts to a situation in the same way. Two people can have the same thing happen to them and have it affect them in totally different ways. One may fall to pieces and take forever to get over it, while the other may find inner strength they never knew they had and rebound in no time at all. So it isn't fair to say or assume that everyone should or is going to handle something the same as another. Just something to think about. We are all unique and individual an deal with things that way.
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Yeah, Yeah 11-28-2007 @ 4:26PM
I don't buy it. Just blame it on the twinkies.
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Willie 12-17-2007 @ 3:10PM
It's probably due to global warming like everything else that happens !
Davvid Tomaselo 11-28-2007 @ 4:27PM
I love you ricki,always thought you were and still are one of the most pretties women I ever saw.The more you think about that evil person and what he did to you.The more he keeps on winner.Let it out once and for all and live your life clear.You deserve that respeact for yourself and the people who love you like me.Marry me and I will treat you like a princess for the rest of your life.Peace/love Big Dave
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someonespecial 11-28-2007 @ 4:29PM
william,
you are an absolute disgrace to society. that kind of comment is just so pathetic that it's obvious to all what kind of childhood issues you've had (or are still having.) now, just go away...
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Grey 11-28-2007 @ 4:53PM
Hmm ... I wish Ricki Lake good luck with her recovery. Too bad that it had been too long for her until her parents found out. If it had been 15 years of abuses, then it must be one of her relatives.
Anyway, she need to lose weight for health reasons. It doesn't have to be a "Hollywood body". Five to ten more pounds over is okay. Nobody's perfect.
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Lynn 11-28-2007 @ 4:56PM
I agree with some of the comments that already been made. I was also sexuall abuse but I'm not fat. And yes, some people handle different situation different. And thank the Lord, save me but you have to stop making excuse for your behavior and just say you know what I shouldn't had that second or third slice of cake. Is the world coming to this making excuses if you gained 260lbs, or something entirely different. People need to wake up and think about how innocent people are getting killed over in Iraqi, and not focus on image so much. I pray and hope she find happiness and peace within herself. And let's pray that our men and women come home safe and this war end soon. God Bless.
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danny 11-28-2007 @ 5:00PM
Heard she wanted to play defense for the Dallas Cowboys.
Put the taco down, Rikki
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Ed Daly 11-28-2007 @ 5:00PM
A
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momof6 11-28-2007 @ 5:05PM
Ricky lost the weight what.....5 years ago at least...and we are still talking about it??? Are we this desperate for news??
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leni shea 11-28-2007 @ 5:08PM
i dont believe your waight gain has anything to do with the episodes in your child hood, ricky lake was fat because she ate to much simple as that,
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rob 11-28-2007 @ 5:17PM
we should leave animals alone and use convicted pedofiles and molestors for experimental testing.
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JIM HOSS 11-28-2007 @ 5:43PM
Ricki Lake is a fat loser...... I do not know why anyone would ever think about touching her............like totally gross me out.............
To me Kelly Key is the most beautiful woman in the world
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Doug 11-28-2007 @ 6:16PM
Sex abuse is horrible, but it seems strange that so many celebrities claim abuse. It is like the "in thing" to do just as going to rehab or wrecking a sports car while DUI.It seems more like a popularity stunt than factual.
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Tom 11-28-2007 @ 6:27PM
Maybe she should change her name from Riki LAKE to Riki Ocean.......;-))
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Rick 11-28-2007 @ 6:29PM
She weighs 260 lbs. because she eats like a pig. Stop with all the excuses.
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Ms. Lotus 11-28-2007 @ 7:00PM
Oh Jesus. Many of you are extremely ignorant or just plainly insensitive and stupid about the well-researched ties between sexual abuse and weight gain. It was only AFTER I began to deal directly with the sexual abuse (my father and older brother) in my mid-20s that I gained weight. At first it was only about 20 pounds, and I didn't really care. Now that I'm nearly 40 and removed yet another sexual predator (an ex-bf) from my life last year, I'm 100 pounds overweight. I find myself eating in my sleep! This is NOT because I'm hungry or because food tastes too good; it's because I've been fucking scared since childhood, and the nocturnal hours were the worst times for the abuse. See the correlation? Sometimes therapy isn't enough, either. I've had a therapist since I was 16 and continue to delve into weekly therapy, but I also pray to my Higher Power for strength and guidance because no human being can do for me what God can. Nearly every single time I relied on a human, I've been gravely hurt. Even my own mother didn't believe that I'd been molested. YOU try to live with that kind of shit and see what YOUR life becomes. Mine's been brimming with heartache and sorrow. I am also bipolar but depression is prevalent in my condition, and the abuse caused me to develop PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) as well; both disorders aren't my fault, obviously, but I'm on disability and slowly attempting to reassimilate myself into the world after three hospitalizations for suicidal ideation. And any of you who tells me to "snap out of it" or "just get over it" really needs to read up on these subjects and educate yourselves or simply shut the hell up. Your lack of empathy and compassion is precisely part of the reason why I'm no longer a sociable, affable person. Once you begin to admit the truth to people, they don't want to hear it because it rocks their insulated, ignorant little world. You haven't walked in my or Ricki's shoes. And, yes, if I had the money I'd also order fresh organic food on a daily basis and employ a physical trainer. Unfortunately, I am pretty poor and am partaking of a dietary plan that doesn't cost half as much money but probably isn't as effective, either...so I just do what I can. Finally, I've known prostitutes in recovery. EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM HAD BEEN SEXUALLY ABUSED. How the fuck can you tell me that one isn't related to the other? Honestly, you should pray to YOUR Higher Power that you're able to rest your head on your pillow tonight for disbelieving those of us who are trying to mend our lives. It's much tougher than you think.
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Leah Turner 11-28-2007 @ 7:03PM
Yeah, and I'm the Queen of England. Its funny how stories like this pop up just when the people involved are last years news. I'm bettin' Ricki needs a little exposure. Maybe she should look up Marie Osmond and get some tips.
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Ms. Lotus 11-28-2007 @ 7:21PM
Er, Ricki was molested AS A CHILD. And even before she began to lose weight in her early 20s, she ALWAYS had boyfriends. Believe it or not, there's an entire and huge sub-culture of men who LOVE big women. I should know because men still look at me now...even though I'm more than Rubenesque at this point. As for the discomfort surrounding amorous attention, that was also a problem for me when I was younger (even before I confronted the impact of the abuse in my life) and continued to be a source of pain. Even in relationships I didn't trust the other person, and more often than not it was discovered that I was being used for sex. There was no love, even if the words "I love you" were uttered from my partner's mouth. All of these factors correspond to one another due to one reason and one reason only: SEXUAL ABUSE. And it *is* obvious that many people on this board have never been abused (thank your lucky stars) but they also harbor not an ounce of understanding and compassion. There are many reasons for eating disorders, and sexual abuse is probably number one on that list; it has NOTHING to do with real hunger as I've stated in a previous comment. It revolves around the issue of comfort and security. You don't know unless you've been there...period, end of story. But please TRY to comprehend that some of us who were abused are affected this way! Being fat is also a type of comfort and security. I don't want to be overweight and hope that I will shed these pounds before I hit 40, but I don't want to be judged right now, either. I'm not sitting here with a box of Twinkies. I'm actually drinking water after a long walk. Take your cruel judgments and shove them up your asses. I'll even bet that some of them are larger than mine, sexual abuse or no sexual abuse! (As for those of you who were sexually abused but didn't gain weight, I'm more then willing to wager that you have OTHER problems in your life. You didn't escape unscathed so don't kid yourself that you're more normal than the fatties.)
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