John Prescott: Bulimic

John Prescott admitted yesterday how he has suffered with bulimia for twenty years, though hid his illness because he felt shamed and embarrassed.

Last night bulimia sufferers saluted his “bravery” at owning up to his illness — which he hid from Tony Blair.

Tony Blair is facing questions over whether he was aware of Prescott’s battle with bulimia when he left the former deputy prime minister in charge of the country. However, it has emerged that he confided in Alastair Campbell about the problem years before Labour was elected.

A spokesman for Tony Blair said last night that the former prime minister would not comment because it was a private matter.

Despite a series of revelations about his private life while he was in the Cabinet, he managed to keep the illness secret from almost everyone, only his closest friends and family and the doctors from whom he sought help knew.

Prescott said eating became his “main pleasure” and that at times of stress he would seek comfort in gorging on vast quantities of food and then vomiting to punish his body. He has also admitted when the pressure really got to him, he would drink bottles of vodka.

The former deputy PM has describe his ordeal: “What I did was stuff my face with anything around, any old rubbish — burgers, chocolate, crisps, fish and chips, loads of it, till I felt sick. But at least I’d had the pleasure of stuffing my face and feeling really full.

“Then there would be a weird kind of pleasure in vomiting and feeling relieved.”

Prescott has described his feelings towards bulimia in his autobiography, Prezza Pulling No Punches:

“People normally associate it with anorexic girls, models trying to keep their weight down,”

“With my weight, people wouldn’t suspect it. I wasn’t a very successful bulimic, in that my weight didn’t really drop.”

Prezza, who is also diabetic, said: “I haven’t suffered from bulimia for more than a year now.”

However, experts have said it is “extremely rare” for a man of Prezza’s age to have the illness. One claimed: “It is unique in my experience.”

If you need help call the bulimia charity Beat hotline: 0845 634 1414 or for more information on Eating Disorders read the 100% People Advice Guide.