Tom Daley, Diver, Confesses to a Nightly Scale‑Liftoff
At 27, Tom Daley—iconic Olympic diver—has made a surprising admission: he still wrestles with a mild eating disorder and daily weight‑watching.
2012: A Year of Lit‑Up Twins
- During the London Olympics, Mr. Daley admitted he would force himself to vomit— a harsh tactic for a body that was already on a tightrope.
- Even today he weighs himself every morning, a ritual that keeps him hooked to the numbers.
A Hard‑to‑Wrap LSD for Men
“It’s just a mild form of eating disorder,” he says. “Men are usually the ones that don’t get the label of someone who’s struggling with body image and eating. It’s not often talked about.”
Not a Media Show‑Stopper
Daley insists his issues are rooted not in paparazzi but in the sport that shaped him:
- As a diver, you’re physically exposed—“you’re so naked up on the board,” he admits.
- Then you’re told that “weight is a performance factor”, which the psychological imprint was deep.
How It Feels to Be in the Spotlight
From his teens to his senior career, there were plenty of photoshoots—full of water splashes and figure‑tight trunks. He says that those moments were “not exploitative” in his view; the real “shopping” for body image came from inside the training regimens.
Dad Life: Robbie, Dustin & a True Balance of Life
He’s also a father of three‑year‑old Robbie alongside his partner, Dustin Lance Black. “Looking back, it seemed more mature, but I never felt taken advantage of,” Daley explains.
End Note
For Tom Daley, the diving board is a weapons of art and a tool for self‑doubt. He’s asked us to consider that an athlete’s body image is a tangled story—sometimes far more complex than the glossy Instagram feeds we see.
