Alison Hammond broke down in tears live on ‘This Morning’ over her weight battle.
Alison Hammond on her weight struggles
The 47-year-old TV star - who shares the Friday presenting slot of the ITV show with Dermot O'Leary in place of regular hosts Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby - was moved when a viewer had called in during the 'Dear Deidre' segment to ask for advice on her teenager daughter's eating disorder.
Following the phone-in, Allison said: "Can I just say something? Obviously, I've had - I'm getting upset - I've had obesity my whole life. And what it is, is your regulation system is out of whack. So obviously, you can't control wanting to eat all the time!"
The former 'Big Brother' star started to cry when she explained that obesity is a "disease", adding that she feels “looked down upon” by others as she was comforted by co-host Dermot, 48, and agony aunt Deidre Sanders., 76.
Alison explained: "I think what a lot of people don't realise, is obesity is a disease. You can't help wanting to eat all the time. Sorry, I get - sorry. Because I think people look down at people just because they're so big and they can't actually help it if they've got a disease. When you're in it, it's difficult. You want to eat and you want all the bad things and you know you don't look right. Sorry, it touched me."
Former Sun columnist Deidre then stepped in and asked what advice she would give to the caller's teenage daughter and Alison called for the NHS to recognise that obesity is a disorder which needs as much attention as anorexia.
She said: "She needs help, I think. NHS needs to see it as a disease. People help people who are anorexic but they don't help people who are overweight and that's why so many people turn to surgery and that, we don't know what to do. It's really affected me.
It's so hard. People don't realise."
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