Sana Saeed has opened up about one of the most difficult chapters of her life, revealing that she battled bulimia for six years before finally understanding that she had an eating disorder. Best remembered for her role as young Anjali in Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Sana reflected on the shame, isolation and body image pressures that defined her journey, while sharing how she eventually found the strength to recover completely over the next four years.
Sana Saeed opens up on the shame around battling bulimia
Speaking to Hindustan Times, Sana Saeed recalled how she spent years believing her condition was merely a bad habit rather than a recognised eating disorder.“What it looked like to me was a bad habit I’d developed, something I had to figure out alone. I carried so much shame around it, thinking I was the only one dealing with this. For six years, I had no name for what I was going through. I was desperate to get better and find a healthy way to eat and eventually, I came across a book on recovery that gave me the language for what I was actually dealing with. That’s when the real healing began, and it took four years to recover completely.“Looking back, the actress admitted she wishes she had understood her condition earlier, adding that sharing her experience publicly is now more important than her fear of vulnerability.“Now that I’m healed, it matters to me deeply that if my story helps even one person feel less alone in theirs, that’s worth more than the discomfort of being vulnerable in public.”She also clarified that she does not hold anyone responsible for her struggle.“I don’t look back at any one moment or person with blame. I look back at a young woman who didn’t yet have the tools to separate how she looked from who she was, in an environment that made that separation harder than it needed to be.”Sana revealed that the biggest turning point in her recovery came when she began thinking about the life she wanted to build.“The real turning point came when my reason for healing got bigger and I couldn’t imagine my future living with the disorder. I remember telling myself that if I got married, I’d never actually enjoy a date with my husband if I was busy worrying about food. That if I ever had children, I never wanted to pass this on. If any of that was going to be my future, I had to heal first.”According to the actor, imagining a healthier future motivated her to prioritise recovery over perfection.
Sana Saeed on body image and societal pressure
Reflecting on the beauty standards she grew up with, Sana said the pressure to look a certain way extended far beyond the entertainment industry.“I remember being in college and noticing all my friends around me dieting, trying to lose weight, talking about their changing bodies. That was the era of size zero when skinny was in, when there were ten different diets available on Google and everyone I knew was running on a treadmill.”She added that conversations about health and nutrition were largely absent during those years.“My world complimented weight loss and nothing else, not how you felt, not whether you’d gone hungry all day to look a certain way. I think the industry just amplifies something a lot of us already carry.”
Sana Saeed on recovering and healing
Earlier this month, Sana also shared a heartfelt note on Instagram, revealing that she spent years unaware she was living with bulimia.“I didn’t know I had an eating disorder for years. Not because I wasn’t suffering, but because I had never heard the words. Growing up, nobody talked about it. There was no language for what I was going through, so I carried it silently and alone for a long time.”She ended her message by confirming that she has completely recovered and encouraging others facing similar struggles to seek professional help.“I am fully recovered and I have never felt more at home in my body or my life. If you are struggling, please reach out to someone you trust or look for eating disorder support in your region. You deserve real help from someone qualified to give it.”
About Sana Saeed
Sana Saeed rose to fame as a child artist after portraying young Anjali, Shah Rukh Khan‘s daughter, in the 1998 blockbuster ‘Kuch Kuch Hota Hai’. She later appeared in films such as ‘Har Dil Jo Pyar Karega’ and ‘Badal’ before transitioning to television with shows including ‘Babul Ka Aangann Chootey Na’ and ‘Lo Ho Gayi Pooja Iss Ghar Ki’. She returned to the big screen as an adult in ‘Student of the Year’. Currently based in Los Angeles, Sana runs a production company with her fiancé, Csaba Wagner.
