We knew she had body issues.

But we didn't know the true extent of Imogen Thomas' suffering.

The controversial model has come clean and admitted she has a serious problem with her body image.

Imogen Thomas in Closer mag 02.12 - 13Imogen has been shockingly honest in her interview with Closer

Whether you love her or hate her, you've got to sympathise with Imogen. Being in the spotlight over the last two years has thrust every aspect of her life under public scrutiny, not least her relationship with her own body.

In a candid interview with Closer magazine, Imogen said: "I want to stop binge-eating and being obsessed with what I look like."

The 29-year-old, who is actually only a size 10, admitted: "People think I'm confident with my body, but I'm not. I'm pushing a size 12, which I know isn't fat, but it's more about how I feel about it. I think I've got fat hips and I've never really been happy with my body. I've become obsessed."
 
She added: "People say I'm silly for complaining about my body, but they're not in my head. I posted a photo on Twitter of me in my underwear, saying I'd gained weight over Christmas and couldn't wait to lose it. Boy, did I get slated!

"Everyone said I was attention-seeking and sending out the wrong message to young girls because I already had a slim figure. I didn't mean to upset anyone and I apologise if I made anyone angry. I know I've got body issues."

Caprice - Imogen Thomas - Underwear - 02.12She had no trouble stripping off for Caprice
The former Big Brother star regularly posts pictures of herself on Twitter - last year she debuted an impressive set of abs on the social networking site, which she put down to Bikram yoga. And just last week she was unveiled as the new face and body of Caprice's underwear range, posing in an array of revealing lingerie shots.
 
But, she said: "Someone on Twitter said I'm a fat cow who needs to lose weight. I don't even see the nice comments - the bad ones really play on my insecurities. I take them to heart and it affects my relationships. Nearly all my boyfriends have told me to stop obsessing about my weight, but I can't help it."

Im's now dating 26-year-old city trader Adam Horsley and, if we know anything about men, we guarantee he has no idea what "fat" she's talking about.

Imogen Thomas - Tummy - 01.12She looks pretty darn fine to us...

Imogen told Closer: "I feel like I've been on a diet all my life. People say I've got a great body, but I'm stuck in binge-diet hell," admitting that on a "bad day" she eats a fry-up for breakfast, potato waffles with cheese for lunch, then chilli con carne for dinner with "lots of crisps" in-between.

Closer mag 07.02.12The full interview appears in Closer, out nowShe went on: "I started hating my body when I was 14 and a size 12-14 - I enjoyed my mum's home-cooking and was eating the wrong things. I lost weight by the time I was 17. When I was 10, I developed alopecia and big clumps of my hair fell out. I had a lot of stress - my mum was a single parent and raised me and my sister on her own.

"It stressed me out and my hair is still a bit thin. The alopecia went on for a few years and, whenever I'm stressed like recently it starts falling out again. I'm terrified I'll go bald."
 
One problem at a time, Im - we reckon as soon as you concentrate on being happy, everything else will fall into place.

By Rebecca Martin 


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