‘Riverdale’ Star Camila Mendes Opens Up About Losing Weight And The $9 Beauty Staple She Swears By

Riverdale star Camila Mendes is opening up about eating disorders with the support of the non-profit company, Project Heel. This week, the actress took to Instagram to inform fans that she is “done with dieting” because being thin made her absolutely miserable. What else did Mendes say about her body image struggles?

According to the Daily Mail, Mendes revealed that her battle with eating disorders began when she was a young girl. The actress grew up seeing her older sister struggle with food and admitted that she suffered the same fate.

But now, Mendes is fighting back with Project Heel, a company that is aiming to let the world know that being healthy doesn’t always mean being thin.

“I’m done believing in the idea that there’s a thinner, happier version of me on the other side of all the tireless effort,” Mendes told fans on social media. “I’m sick of the toxic narrative that the media consistently feeds us: that being thin is the ideal body type. A healthy body is the ideal body type, and that will look different for every person.”

Mendes went on to reveal that her views on dieting changed after a visit to a holistic doctor. She realized that she had been obsessed with staying thin for a long time, and her efforts to remain a certain body weight sucked all the joy out of her life. She also explained how her constant dieting made her anxious around food and that it made her stop doing the things she loves.

She now believes that a person’s body shape and size is largely determined by genetics and encouraged fans to share their stories about their struggles with eating disorders.

Mendes is best known for her role as Veronica Lodge on the hit series Riverdale. According to Glamour, although the actress is done with dieting, there is one thing her character won’t be ditching on the show: her $9 nail polish staple.

Most of the characters on Riverdale have an aesthetic that is unique to them. Betty always rocks a pony, Cheryl has red lips, and Veronica has never had a scene without her shiny, wine-red nail polish.

In a recent interview, Mendes revealed the reasoning behind her character’s choice of color.

The actress explained how Veronica’s nails are always shades of red or purple, depending on the tone of the scene. The colors, like everything else on Riverdale, have a secret meaning. Veronica’s nail polish reflects her inner workings and speaks to her mysterious nature, which Mendes believes makes sense given her dark family ties.

With that in mind, fans can expect to see Veronica rock the same nail color for as long as Veronica stays on the series. The company who makes the nail polish, OPI, sells Veronica’s shade for a mere $9. In addition to Mendes, Selena Gomez has also been spotted wearing the brand’s nail polish.

Fans can watch Camila Mendes in action when new episodes of Riverdale air Wednesday nights on The CW.