Kristin Cavallari is speaking candidly about a painful chapter from her past. The television personality recently shared that her relationship with food during her early 20s was far from healthy, and she now believes she experienced a form of eating disorder.

The 39-year-old entrepreneur opened up during the June 23, 2026, episode of her podcast, “Let's Be Honest.” As she reflected on preparing for Miami Swim Week, the conversation shifted to body image, restrictive eating, and the pressure she had placed on herself for years.

Kristin Cavallari Reflects on Years of Food Obsession

Kristin / IG / Looking back, Cavallari says she spent nearly every day feeling guilty about what she ate, describing it as an exhausting way to live.

The beauty queen, 39, explained that food became something she constantly monitored instead of something she enjoyed. Rather than eating freely, she built strict rules around every meal. Those habits shaped her routine, leaving little room for balance.

She also shared that she did not completely stop eating. Instead, she relied on meals she considered safe, including plain salads with grilled chicken and little else. Every bite came with intense self-awareness, making food feel more like a source of stress than nourishment.

On weekends, things often swung in the opposite direction. After going out drinking, she found herself binge eating, creating a cycle that she now recognizes as another sign of a deeply unhealthy relationship with food. Looking back, she sees that pattern as part of a much larger struggle.

Cavallari Now Believes It Was an Eating Disorder

For years, Cavallari resisted calling her past behavior an eating disorder. She believed her experience did not fit the traditional image that many people associate with the condition.

During the podcast, she admitted that her perspective has changed. She said this was the first time she seriously considered that she may have been dealing with an eating disorder, even if it looked different from what she once imagined.

Cavallari explained that she never completely starved herself or made herself vomit. Because of that, she convinced herself her struggles were not serious enough to deserve that label. Today, she understands that eating disorders exist across a wide spectrum and do not always follow one pattern.

She also pointed to the pressure many women face to look a certain way. Constant messages about body image can make unhealthy habits seem normal, especially during young adulthood. That pressure often makes it difficult to recognize when healthy choices become harmful.

Finding Freedom Through a Healthier Mindset

Kristin / IG / Cavallari says her relationship with food looks completely different today. Instead of living by strict rules, she feels she has found real freedom around eating.

She no longer spends every day worrying about calories or punishing herself for enjoying meals. That mental shift has become just as important as any physical change. She says she feels proud of the progress she has made after years of struggling.

Her current approach focuses on eating real, minimally processed foods because they make her feel her best, not because she feels forced to follow rigid restrictions. She has learned that balance is far healthier than chasing perfection.

That same mindset shapes the way she feeds her family. Cavallari shares three children, Camden, Jaxon, and Saylor, and she says she wants them to grow up with healthy attitudes toward food instead of fear or guilt.