Diane Keaton’s cause of death remains unknown: A look at her past battle with the eating disorder bulimia News Air Insight

Diane Keaton, the legendary Oscar-winning actress, died at the age of 79 in California, according to People. The cause of death has not been confirmed, and her family has requested privacy, as per the outlet. Keaton rose to prominence in the 1970s with her roles in The Godfather films and her collaborations with director Woody Allen, earning the Academy Award for Best Actress for Annie Hall (1977). Although Diane Keaton’s cause of death is still unknown, she had an eating disorder previously.

How did Diane Keaton die?

As Diane Keaton’s cause of death remains a mystery, PEOPLE sheds some light on Keaton’s past health issues. In 2017, Keaton told the outlet that she struggled with bulimia. According to People, the performer’s eating disorder began after the director of the Broadway production Hair offered Keaton the starring role with the stipulation that she shed pounds.
“I was a fat person, I was an obese person, who had somehow tricked myself and managed to hide it,” Keaton detailed.

During an appearance on The Dr. Oz Show, Keaton admitted that she would consume 20,000 calories daily at the peak of her bulimia struggle, reports the express. The actress revealed her evening meal: “a bucket of fried chicken, several orders of fries with blue cheese and ketchup, a couple of TV dinners, a quarter of soda, pounds of candy, a whole cake, and three banana cream pies”, quotes the outlet.

But the exact reason why Diane Keaton died remains unclear and may be unrelated to her health issues.

What is Bulimia?

Bulimia nervosa, also called bulimia, is a serious type of eating disorder. It’s characterized by eating a large amount of food in a short amount of time (binging), followed by getting rid of the food (purging), as per the Cleveland Clinic.

It explains, “You may feel like you have no control over what you eat. You might eat large amounts in one sitting, sometimes in secret, leading to guilt or shame. To cope, you may try to compensate by vomiting, using laxatives, or exercising excessively.”