In her new memoir, "You With the Sad Eyes," Christina Applegate opens up about her experiences as a young actress dealing with body image issues, particularly highlighting the detrimental impact of her role as Kelly Bundy in the popular series. Applegate discloses that the character's demand for an extremely thin appearance worsened her existing battle with anorexia. She recalls how the pressure to conform to this physique led her to engage in unhealthy eating behaviors, as she felt compelled to restrict her food intake severely.

Applegate reflects on her mindset during the series, describing how she maintained an ideal image for her character, which involved digging deeper into her eating disorder. The memoir candidly portrays her challenges, including times when she would only consume half of a bagel throughout an entire day or forgo meals altogether to achieve the desired slimness for production. Despite exercising for hours each day, she struggled with body satisfaction, indicating the severe toll that such pressures took on her mental and physical health.

The revelations in Applegate's memoir not only provide insight into her personal struggles but also shed light on the broader issues of mental health and body image within the entertainment industry. Her candid admissions underscore the tremendous pressure faced by actors, particularly women, to adhere to unrealistic standards of beauty, raising important questions about the impact of such expectations on individual well-being and the need for change within the industry.