Miss America helps teens fight eating disorders

It's an almost stereotypical image: a beauty pageant winner battling an eating disorder.

But there may be no better way for Kirsten Haglund to reach out to teens struggling with the same pitfalls than by using her status as Miss America 2008.

Haglund was at the Hilton Hotel on Saturday in Lisle to talk about her own issues with anorexia as part of a mental health fair sponsored by Linden Oaks at Edward called "Happy Hearts, Healthy Minds."

Up to 10 million people in the United States suffer from some sort of eating disorder, according to the National Eating Disorders Association.

Speaking in front of an audience of about 70 parents and teens, Haglund recounted her battles with the disorder while she was in high school.

Through her parents' intervention, Haglund said she received the therapy she needed and now is controlling her weight with the help of a nutritionist.

Haglund said she stopped pursuing her dream to become a professional ballerina to escape an environment in which she was rewarded for being slim.

"I was absolutely terrified of gaining weight," said Haglund, a 19-year-old from Farmington Hills, Mich.

As for her recent pageant win, Haglund said she believed it was the perfect way to pay for her college tuition while having a very visible platform in which to reach teens in similar situations.

"You're never going to know how people are going to react to a beauty queen talking about eating disorders," she said. "But I feel everything happens for a reason."

And when asked by an audience member about the Miss America pageant's emphasis on judging contestants in swimwear, Haglund had her own healthy spin on the practice.

Haglund detailed the history of the pageant and said she had "a healthy pressure to stay fit."

"A huge part of the (swimsuit contest) is tradition," Haglund said. "In none of my appearances do I appear in a swimsuit."