Eventually, Hunt reached a breaking point and let go of the pressure, a decision that positively impacted both her mental and physical wellbeing. “When I gave it up, my brain and body got better,” she said
Oscar-winning actress Helen Hunt has opened up about her evolving relationship with beauty standards in Hollywood, revealing how she’s chosen to reject the pressures of conforming to unrealistic ideals and embrace a more authentic, self-loving approach to life.
In a candid conversation with Flow Space, the 61-year-old star shared how deeply ingrained appearance expectations used to affect her self-esteem and mental health. “It felt impossible not to internalise the way you’re supposed to look,” Hunt admitted. “[There was] a certain amount of misery and shame around not looking exactly that way.”
The As Good As It Gets star said she realised the emotional toll these expectations were taking. “I realised, ‘This could quietly ruin your whole life,’” she said. “I made a decision: I’m not playing. Not gonna [let it] take up a lot of space in my mind.” Hunt credits her shift in mindset partly to the teachings in The Only Diet There Is, a book by spiritual teacher Sondra Ray. “What I took from it is: eat what you want and love every bite, period,” she said, endorsing a philosophy of acceptance and intuitive living.
Reflecting on her earlier years, Hunt acknowledged that during the 1980s, she was highly self-conscious about her appearance. “I had my run in the ‘80s about being really worried about how I looked,” she told HuffPost Live in an earlier interview. “Everybody was more fit, or more thin, and I maxed out on worrying about it.”
Eventually, Hunt reached a breaking point and let go of the pressure, a decision that positively impacted both her mental and physical wellbeing. “When I gave it up, my brain and body got better,” she said. “I was taking these exercise classes called ‘abs, thighs, and buns’ and I was like, ‘I’m going to be dead one day — do I really want to give up an hour in this class?’” Now, Hunt is using her platform to challenge the culture of perfection, championing authenticity and mental freedom over superficial ideals.
