RHONJ's Jackie Goldschneider Opens Up About Her Journey With Anorexia and Body Image
The Real Housewives of New Jersey's Jackie Goldschneider courageously shares her ongoing battle with anorexia, offering a candid glimpse into her journey of recovery and the challenges she has faced along the way
Jackie Goldschneider Mindy Small/Getty Images
Jackie Goldschneider is preparing to take a significant step in her journey to recovery from an eating disorder. The Real Housewives of New Jersey star, 47, shared on the January 8 episode of Jana Kramer's "Whine Down" podcast that she has not weighed herself since May 2021. However, she has been discussing with her dietitian and therapist the possibility of stepping back on the scale, both of whom she continues to meet with once a week.
Despite her doctors’ strong disapproval, Goldschneider feels a strong urge to see how much weight she has gained and the potential outcomes. She confesses that although she has made significant progress in her recovery, she still struggles with certain old habits that she is hesitant to abandon. She emphasizes that she is no longer anorexic and does not engage in self-imposed restrictions, but she remains fearful of certain habits and worries about gaining too much weight. Due to her previous unhealthy fixation on the scale, her doctors are apprehensive about her focusing on a specific number rather than her overall well-being.
After her recovery, Goldschneider is exploring new foods that she never had the chance to try before due to her high school dieting. Some of the foods she thought she would love turned out to be not so great, while others, like a tuna fish sandwich, brought her close to tears of happiness. A cannoli she tried while out with friends was just okay in her opinion.
Goldschneider acknowledges RHONJ as a key factor in her recovery from health struggles. "The show really did help me heal. ... I don't believe I would have overcome it on my own," she revealed on the podcast. "Having the show as a platform for me to share my journey was incredibly beneficial."
Jackie Goldschneider has been open about her eating disorder experiences since joining RHONJ in 2018. In an exclusive interview with We in November 2019, she expressed her willingness to share her personal struggles in order to help and resonate with others. "My life is pretty much an open book, and if there's anything going on in my personal life that I think could help anyone or resonate with anyone or make people feel like they're not alone, I'm so much more than happy to share it," Goldschneider stated.
In her book, The Weight of Beautiful, released in September 2023, Goldschneider recounted a heated exchange with her RHONJ co-stars regarding her struggle with an eating disorder. "‘Margaret [Josephs] said you have issues with food,’ Jennifer [Aydin], one of my castmates, suddenly announced to the table, and I wondered if my world was about to crumble,’" Goldschneider wrote in an excerpt obtained by Us at the time.
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She went on to say: "I could have been honest, but I wasn't ready to give up anorexia. I hated it deeply, I despised the pain and the constant thoughts, and how it controlled everything in my life, but I also relied on it. Anorexia was the only thing that gave me a sense of control when everything else felt chaotic, and it was the only thing that allowed me to distance myself so far from the person I used to be that I no longer recognized myself. I sacrificed everything — my health, my sanity, my ability to socialize without anxiety — to hold on to my eating disorder. I dedicated myself to it, and in return, it allowed the old me to fade away."
If you or someone you know struggles with an eating disorder, visit the National Eating Disorders (NEDA) website or call their hotline at (800) 931-2237 to get help.
