Age-a-licious

I'm not really surprised about this.




Mary-Kate Olsen has entered a clinic for treatment of an eating disorder, sources tell PEOPLE.

"Mary-Kate Olsen recently entered a treatment facility to seek professional help for a health-related issue," Michael Pagnotta, a spokesman for Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, who turned 18 on June 13, said in a statement Tuesday. "She is thankful for the encouragement and support of her friends and family who are with her every step of the way."

While Pagnotta did not specify what the health issue was, sources say the treatment is for an eating disorder.

The sisters, who each boast an estimated net worth of $150 million and will enter New York University as freshmen in September, have been the target of public speculation about their weight. As they admitted in a PEOPLE cover story last month: "Being in the public eye, you're labeled that you have an eating disorder," said Ashley.

But she was quick to add: "We don't have problems! There's nothing to worry about."

Earlier this year, the sisters saw the release of their movie New York Minute, and on June 7, the Olsens celebrated their graduation from Campbell Hall, a private school in North Hollywood.

last beautiful girl

Wow. That's so sad. She has been looking really skinny lately.

TooTallVal

To skinny! And look what's going on!! Publicity, movies, etc! The stress! the insanity! What else is new.

FinleyN1derland

*sigh* This is really sad. I hope it's not true.

But can we really believe her sister who is going to do anything to protect her?

-Kelly-

It's true and being a fan of the girls since "Full House" and many years it sads me to hear about Mary-kate

FinleyN1derland

Oh my gosh, me too. They're only a little bit younger then me... about 6 months. I grew up with them on "Full House".

Drekkan

Yes, let's all gush and cry because some celebrity with tons of money doesn't want to eat. Screw her. This is a nation where people root arond through garbage looking for a meal. A nation where one of my friend's family couldn't afford to have 3 squares everyday. If she doesn't want to eat because of some "Fat Complex" then so be it. I have zero sympathy. I'm a fat guy (though I've come down a good 60lbs from my largest over the past couple months because of exercise and diet) and I'm comfortable, with no illusions. I hate people who complain about being fat; despite being skinny.

NEWSFLASH: If everyone says you're (too) skinny, then maybe YOU'RE NOT FAT. Jeez, go to the back of the class. Once we've solved the lack of proper breakfasts for all school children in this nation, then come to me and complain about riches biatchs that don't want to eat.

*mags26*

I knew it. She's been looking skinnier and skinner. I hope she gets better. I was a total FH fan. I grew up with them.

-Kelly-

LOS ANGELES, California (Reuters) -- Teen actress Mary-Kate Olsen, who with her twin sister Ashley has grown into an American pop icon and fashion brand, has entered a program for treatment of an eating disorder a source said, which is reported to be anorexia.

The 18-year-old co-star of last month's film "New York Minute" recently "entered a treatment facility to seek professional help for a health-related issue," publicist Michael Pagnotta said Tuesday.

"She is thankful for the encouragement and support of her friends and family, who are with her every step of the way," he added.

A person familiar with the situation told Reuters that Olsen was suffering from an eating disorder. Olsen entered a facility during the past week or 10 days and was expected to remain in treatment for about a month, the person said.

Us Weekly magazine, in the cover story of its upcoming issue, identified the disorder as anorexia.

Speculation about Olsen's rail-thin figure has been the subject of tabloids, gossip columns and the Internet for weeks. The actress herself poked fun at the issue during the twins' recent appearance on "Saturday Night Live," shouting to an extra playing herself, "You're too skinny! Eat a sandwich!"

Pagnotta said both sisters, who turned 18 on June 13, were going ahead with plans to attend New York University together in the fall.

But Ashley Olsen will be making a planned trip later this month to Australia and New Zealand without Mary-Kate to launch overseas promotion of "New York Minute" -- the sisters' first theatrical feature, he said.

The twins have been in the public eye since they were 9 months old, starring in the television sitcom "Full House." Since then, they have sold millions of videos, DVDs and books and have launched their own fashion line.

But director-producer Michael Kruzan, who has worked with the twins for years, was quoted in Us Weekly as describing Mary-Kate as the "more competitive" of the two girls.

Jerry D

I find that sad, but not surprising. I think that this society puts a tremendous amount of pressure on women to be thin, and some of them can take it to extremes, and end up with eating disorders. Sure, it’s easy to scoff and say “she’s a multi-millionaire, who cares,” but I don’t feel that way. Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen have been in the media spotlight since they were infants, and like them or not, I hope that Mary-Kate gets the help she needs.

sarzy

Having an eating disorder has nothing to do with being 'too fat' or 'too skinny', it's a psycholigical disease, which chooses the person diseased, not the other way around. You don't just wake up one moring and decide, "Hmmm, I feel a little fat, think I'll go ruin my life by starving myself." Just like alcoholics don't choose to be addicts, and Schizophrenics don't choose to be mentally ill either.

It has nothing to do with 'not wanting to eat'.

Grow up, and don't be so *****ing ignorant.

Drekkan

So, it's a psychological condition. Big whoop. We still shouldn't care. She's rich, she can take care of herself. Meanwhile there are people everywhere that CAN'T. Heck, we should be made that she (and especially her family) let it get this far. They should have intervened earlier and done something. This is their fault, and I see no reason why we should gush. If you want something to care about, look no further then the guy in the gutter. He doens't have enough money for it to matter if he has a "condition". She could have gotten help before now, and she didn't. She could have made it easier, she didn't. Just like an alcoholic she needs it, and I wouldn't deny it to her. I will say that it's a condemnation of our society that this gets more news then the starving and homeless, then those with major drug problems, then many of the national tragedies that happen everyday. When someone going into rehab appears as a headline on CNN.COM it goes to show that NEWS today isn't about important current events; it's about sensationalist crap.

Timeo

I don't have anything to add except for DUDE. I haven't talked to you in ages!!!!!

JohannafromIHJ

Don't be so *****ing one-sided. (That's right, feel the fury of the red-faced smilie!)

She may be rich, but she's still a child who's ill. If people want to care, I say good for them. It wasn't too long ago a condition like this wasn't even classified as a disease, and there was no way of getting help, whether you were rich or not.

So she worked her arse off since early childhood to build a business empire with her sister--that doesn’t make her problems worthy of people's attention, because she's rich? Your whole post reeks of jealousy.

But, of course, eating disorders usually happen to teenage girls, so naturally it automatically ends up at the bottom of the barrel. Because no one gives a ***** about the horrors teenage girls have to go through, because those issues just aren't prestigious enough. Tell a person you've devoted your life to helping homeless people and that person will praise you, tell him you've spent your life trying to keep teenage girls from self-destructing and they'll roll their eyes and complain about snotty rich girls who should snap out of it.

No, I don't like the Olsen twins. I'd be quite happy if I never had to hear about them ever again. But they obviously have an impact on millions of young girls. So this needs to be addressed, if only for their sake. Not being able to eat without experiencing extreme anxiety is not a choice, and it's not fun, and if left untreated it is a condition which will either kill you or haunt you for your entire life. Add to that the fact that these girls are public figures, held up as role models for loads of young girls. They're not allowed to have faults, so I'm not surprised she waited this long.

Drekkan

You still haven't addressed why this was a frontpage CNN issue. Why this is important to the family. I understand why her family cares, and I have no problem with them treating her.

But I do have a problem with the media coverage. You yourself say that there are many unrecognized victims, so why is this one special? Also, why does she get recognition for this eating disorder whereas others, who have eating disorders that swing the other way (like my sister and my best friend's brother) get no press? Eh? Why is that fair?

You say my post reeks of jealousy, not, it seeths with anger. Anger that the news wastes time on this crap. It ISN'T BLOODY NEWS. That's the problem with TV news in the US. People are obsessed with Winona Ryder's shoplifting, why is it different to if a normal thug shoplifts? Why is Kobe Bryant's trial so different to the other rape trials out there. It disgusts me that there's special status just because someone's rich.

I've been on and off this thread for several years. Plus a solid member of 3 others for several years as well. On none of them do I see laments for the people who die every 5-10 second because they CAN'T eat, because they don't have any food. Why so much attention to this won person who won't eat.