BUSTY Geri Halliwell has got a new name Weepy Spice.
For normally self-assured Geri, Ginger Spice, looked
puffy-eyed and distant at the Fab Five's sell-out gig in
Scotland.
Although the Spice Girls blew the lid off Glasgow's SECC
Stadium their leader didn't look on pop of the world. On
their fourth number, Denying, the video monitors showed
25-year-old Geri's pained expression.
Star Rave writer Rav Singh said: "Her sad look was
the talk of the crowd.
"Her eyes seemed puffy and bloodshot like she'd been
crying. She seemed distracted and very unhappy."
Geri has split with city slicker boyfriend Jamie
Morrison, 20. And it's been revealed raunchy pictures
taken when she was a struggling model will feature in
May's Playboy mag. Her teenage battle against eating
disorders are also public.
GINGER Spice Geri Halliwell suffered from eating
disorders when she was a teenager. Geri, now 24, was
working as a club dancer. She said: "I was about 17
or 18 and I'd never thought about my figure or questioned
my shape - but then a couple of the other dancers started
commenting I was a bit plump.
"I went on a diet. That was the biggest mistake of
my life. Diets are a trap. They are the start of a
vicious circle that doesn't get you anywhere.
"I wouldn't only blame my eating problems on the
pressure from society to be skinny. They're hard to
understand - but problems with food can often be symptoms
of your lack of self-esteem, lack of love or the desire
to fill a need. Bulimia can be a result of feeling unable
to express your hate, love or anger. I wouldn't like to
generalise but I think all eating disorders, including
anorexia, have a lot to do with control.
"If you feel that your eating patterns are
becoming compulsive you should try and step out of
yourself and take a look at why it's happening. The
problem is often much deeper-rooted than you think. The
best thing you can do is tell someone. That, in itself,
is a release if you find the right person to tell.
"A lot of people don't understand it at all. They
think it's easy just to eat your three meals a day but
it's not that easy. You can go round and round in
circles. Quick-fix diets don't work. You always end up
the same weight in the end anyway. If you're worried
about how good you look, I can honestly say that you're
just as sexy with a bit of meat on you, as long as you're
not hung up about it."
Sporty Spice Mel C admits that she too has faced problems
with eating. She revealed: "At one point I got a bit
compulsive about eating properly and going to the gym all
the time but I've got over it. Now I believe in
everything in moderation.
"Don't think I wanna be slim so the lads like me,
because it's not true. We've said it so many times.lads
like something to get hold of!"
I'VE GOT A FAT BUM BUT I
DON'T CARE, BABY SPICE TELLS TRAGIC ANOREXIA GIRL
BY JANE ATKINSON
THE tragic little girl lying close
to death in a hospital anorexia ward was astonished
when she was passed the telephone. For down the line
came one of the most famous voices in the world
begging her to eat.
Spice Girl Emma Bunton pleaded with
10-year-old Rochelle Elliott: "I've got a fat
bottom but people still like me, so please eat."
Emma and the other Spice Girls
delayed a post-concert party in Madrid to make the
call after hearing how Rochelle's weight had
plummeted to just FIVE stone following bullying at
school.
Ginger Spice Geri Halliwell
confessed how she'd suffered from an eating disorder
but battled back to health.
And Posh Spice Victoria Adams
explained how her own schooldays had been made hell
by bullies. The girls then told their management to
book tickets for Rochelle at Wembley during the
English phase of their world tour.
Victoria told the Sunday People:
"All of us were glad to help. Rochelle seems
such a sweet girl - we were very upset to hear about
what she has gone through. It proves that bullying is
disgusting and just how harmful it can be. I got
bullied - not to this extent - but obviously it's
horrible for anyone.
"We all talked to Rochelle for
about 20 minutes each and tried to encourage her the
best we could. We really do hope she gets better. We
wish her all the luck in the world and are thinking
of her."
A spokeswoman for the group added:
"I remember the day Rochelle ate something after
speaking to the girls. Victoria ran into the dressing
room to tell everyone. All the girls were thrilled.
Now they are looking forward to the day when they can
meet up."
Rochelle's mum Paula revealed:
"My daughter had no interest in anything but
then the nurse told her that the Spice Girls had
rung.
"Rochelle was thrilled and we
took her in a wheelchair to the phone. They were all
lovely and Emma told her about her fat bottom but
said she didn't care because people still liked her.
"Victoria told her that there
are lots of people who love her so she should love
herself.
"It did the world of good.
Rochelle was refusing to eat at all but, after the
call, she ate half a roast potato, a spoonful of
vegetables and some meat. That is the best day she's
had since being so ill. Rochelle has a shrine to the
girls above her hospital bed with posters."
At the beginning of last year,
Rochelle was a normal, happy and chubby girl. She had
a best pal and boyfriends at St Paul's Roman Catholic
School in Cheshunt, Herts. She was a healthy seven
stone and never thought twice about eating chocolate
and crisps.
But then her life descended into a
nightmare. A girl started picking on her and she
became withdrawn and depressed.
Paula said: "Shortly before
the end of the summer term, she became moody - I just
thought it was her age. She would come in from school
and lock herself away in her toy room.
"My husband John and I asked
what was wrong but it was difficult getting through.
"She would ignore me and shout
and scream but I finally nagged her enough for her to
break down and tell me.
"She explained that she was
being picked on. She was being called a four-eyed fat
cow and the bully was getting the other girls to pick
on her too.
"I told her to stay with her
best friend Nicola and shout back at this bully. I
said I would come and talk to her if it got any
worse. That seemed to reassure her and she seemed a
little better."
During the holidays, Paula watched
her little girl play on her bike every day with
Nicola or go to the swimming pool. By the time she
went back to school, Rochelle's figure had thinned
out. Her brother James, 15, had also been chubby
before slimming down and Paula thought it was natural
for Rochelle to lose her puppy fat too.
But her daughter again locked
herself away after the holidays ended.
Paula said: "It was like
having a different little girl. The fun- loving
Rochelle was disappearing before my eyes.
"She had no interest in school
and was a nervous wreck. Even though she had thinned
out, the bully called her a flash cow who was still
the fattest in the class.
"But the turning point came
when Rochelle was pushed into the toilets and told
that Nicola didn't want to be her friend any more.
"Nicola was bullied into
saying the same thing and the whole class sent
Rochelle to Coventry. She had nobody to turn to.
"Her form teacher found her
crying in the toilet and tried to help but I think by
then it was too late. Rochelle was completely
devastated. It took us months to find out the extent
of the bullying. I spoke to the school and the
bully's mum and they both said they would help."
Rochelle began refusing to eat and
not even Spice Girls chocolates from her aunt could
tempt her.
She even started getting body hair
- a sign of anorexia - and rocking herself backwards
and forwards when she talked about school.
Then, the day before she was due to
return to school in January this year, a rash
appeared on her chest. She couldn't move her neck and
Paula feared she had meningitis.
"I took her to the hospital
and they said she had stress and the doctor said it
was a symptom of bullying. I was devastated. She is
only ten."
The doctor wrote to the school and
the headmaster recommended to Paula and John that
their daughter should attend for half days - in case
she lost complete interest - and said that special
attention would be given to her.
But Rochelle continued to endure
name-calling. She was also pinched and tripped up in
the playground. By February, Rochelle was so
terrified and depressed that she controlled every
calorie she ate. Paula recalled: "My GP advised
me to eat healthy meals with her, which I did. I've
never put her on a diet but we tried Weight Watchers
meals so Rochelle could eat something healthy instead
of starving herself.
"And twice a week I took her
to the doctor to keep her monitored - it was the only
thing we could do. She was terrified about going to
school and at playtime was kept in the classroom.
"The school did nothing about
the bully even though I constantly asked them to.
"Rochelle felt dreadful about
herself and the only thing she could control was what
she ate."
By mid-February, Rochelle had lost
two stone. Her hands went blue because of poor
circulation and Paula kept her at home.
"I told her she never had to
go back there but Rochelle was still depressed, she
controlled her eating like it meant everything to
her.
"She even stopped drinking
water or brushing her teeth thinking it would make
her fat.
"She would kick and scream if
I tried to give her a vitamin drink or she pretended
to drink it and then throw it away.
"On the odd day she did go to
school, the bullying continued. I phoned up the
girl's mum and told her my daughter was dying. She
was mortified and even went to the school and offered
to remove her daughter for the next six months but
nothing changed."
On March 1, Rochelle was so
under-nourished that she couldn't even walk or write
her name.
Her GP admitted her to Chase Farm
Hospital, Hertfordshire, and she was put on a drip to
give her vitamins and fluid.
Paula said: "After a week, she
was given some solid food but it was a struggle to
get her to eat it. Then she had to be taken off
solids because it set her back so much and at one
stage she was given 24 hours to live. The nurses were
worried she had renal failure and I really thought
she was going to die. She was pulling out her hair
even though she was exhausted and weak.
"She couldn't move her head
off the pillow and, even though she was in hospital,
her worst fear was going back to school.
"I told her that would never,
ever happen but could still see the fear in her
eyes."
Eventually, though, Rochelle was
re-introduced to solid food and was able to be
wheeled around the hospital.
Paula's brother Warren was
desperate to help and asked someone to contact
Victoria's mother for an autograph because she was
from the same village. Mrs Adams responded
immediately by sending pyjamas, posters and an
autograph. She phoned her daughter the same day.
Paula revealed: "Rochelle was
over the moon they cared enough to give her those
things but never expected anything else.
"Then, out of the blue, the
nurse said that the Spice Girls were on the phone.
Her face lit up but she didn't believe it at first.
She was refusing to have her Sunday dinner so the
nurses kept it warm and I took her to the phone.
"We had to hold the phone to
her ear. First Victoria came on and told her about
her the children who had bullied her at a nearby
school. Then all the other girls spoke to her.
Rochelle's eating didn't suddenly improve but there
were days when she seemed quite normal again. She
didn't think she would ever hear from the Spice Girls
again though because they are so busy."
But the next week, the girls sent a
letter to Rochelle, each penning a personal note.
Melanie Chisholm wrote: "To
Rochelle, it was lovely to talk to you the other day.
Can't wait to see you at Wembley, so take good care
of yourself. All my love."
Emma's message read: "To
Rochelle, I loved talking to you and can't wait to
meet you at Wembley. We hope you enjoy the show. All
my love."
Scary Spice Melanie Brown wrote:
"How are you, hey! Hope you're being a good girl
and eating food, remember what I said. Lots of
love."
Victoria said: "There are so
many people who love you, so start loving yourself.
"
And Geri's message was:
"Rochelle, stay strong so we can see you. There
is real girl power inside of you."
Paula added: " After the joint
phone call, Victoria phoned again from Paris to see
how she was and promised to visit.
"She told Rochelle she would
eat a banana or a slice of toast with her when she
was back home. Rochelle wants to go to Wembley. If
she's well enough to go in her wheelchair she will
but we are taking one day at a time.
"She is still very poorly. I
never imagined that bullying could lead to a
ten-year-old becoming an anorexic. I just hope that
people will realise now how dangerous bullies can be
and do something about it before it gets too late.
"I would hate this to happen
to anybody else because nobody deserves to go through
this hell. Our family has fallen apart."
Consultant paediatrician Dr Ian
Pollock said that Rochelle is making some steady
progress.
He added: "Bullying is a
significant form of stress for young people and can
lead to all sorts of difficulties including eating
disorders.
"Anorexia is a growing problem
among girls mostly of adolescent age but the youngest
patient we have cared for was nine. We are now trying
to expand our unit because eating disorders need to
be dealt with in the right way. Some are
life-threatening syndromes."
Rochelle's
school declined to comment about her case.
