Eiza González Reveals the Painful Reality of Growing up Obsessed With Her Weight
Eiza González recently shared a deeply personal look at her lifelong battle with body image in a vulnerable social media post. On Wednesday, February 25, the 36-year-old actress took to Instagram to mark Eating Disorder Awareness Week, explaining that the event inspired her to speak out about her own journey.
The Fountain of Youth star revealed that her difficult relationship with her body first began as a child following the tragic loss of her father in a motorcycle accident. She explained that she turned to food as a way to handle the overwhelming grief and depression she felt at just twelve years old.
By 13, I had gained 30 pounds almost overnight, navigating grief, puberty, and confusion all at once, González wrote, describing the pain of trying to soothe emotions she hadn’t yet processed. Her situation became even more difficult just a few years later when she was cast as the lead in the Nickelodeon Latin America series Sueña conmigo.
Being a teenage star meant that she was suddenly under a microscope, with every part of her appearance being judged by the public. Every image was dissected, every detail criticized, and everyone seemed to have an opinion about my body, who I was, and who I should be, she shared.
This constant judgment led to a cycle of obsession where she felt she had to change herself to be liked by others, which she admitted only made her feel emptier. Now, as an adult, González says she has worked hard to break those old habits and prioritize her own well-being over the opinions of others.
She told her followers that she is now committed to fueling her body with kindness and respect rather than trying to shrink herself to fit a standard. Today, as a grown woman, I choose myself, she stated, adding that while the journey isn’t always easy, she is proud of the progress she has made.
Outside of her advocacy work, González has been incredibly busy with several major film projects over the last year. She recently starred in the sci-fi horror film Ash, which was directed by Flying Lotus and released in March 2025.
In that movie, she played an astronaut named Riya Ortiz who wakes up on a distant planet to find her entire crew has been killed, starring alongside Aaron Paul and Iko Uwais. The actress also had a major streaming hit with Guy Ritchie’s adventure film Fountain of Youth, which debuted on Apple TV+ in May 2025.
In this heist story, she played a key role alongside John Krasinski and Natalie Portman as they traveled the globe searching for a mythical source of immortality. The movie has remained popular on the streaming charts well into the year, frequently appearing in the top ten most-watched lists worldwide.
Looking toward her upcoming projects, González is set to reunite with Guy Ritchie for the action thriller In the Grey, which is scheduled to hit theaters on April 10. The film features a massive cast, including Henry Cavill, Jake Gyllenhaal, and Rosamund Pike, and follows a group of specialists trying to recover billions of dollars in stolen cash.
With her career reaching new heights and her commitment to mental health awareness, González continues to be a prominent voice in Hollywood. She ended her recent post by encouraging anyone else who might be struggling to remember that it is never too late to start honoring yourself.
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