Demi Lovato Defends Eating Disorder Sufferers: Having Anorexia or Bulimia Isn't a Choice

Demi Lovato has been a longtime advocate for those struggling with eating disorders, and now she's coming forward to urge people to rethink how people view those who are dealing with a debilitating illness like anorexia or bulimia.

The singer first began her Twitter spree by giving a shout-out to an organization that's helped her, writing, "Mental illness can be isolating. Thanks @DBSAlliance 4 showing me the power of peer support."

Lovato then went on to say: "Having an eating disorder doesn't show 'strength.' Strength is when are able to overcome your demons after being sick and tired for so long. There's a wide misconception that anorexia and/or bulimia is a choice and you often hear people say things like 'why doesn't she just start eating?' Or even 'just stop throwing up.'"

She continued, "It's the ignorance and lack of education on mental illnesses that continues to [put] mental health care on the back burner to congress even though this is an epidemic that is sweeping our nation, and causing more and more tragedy every day."

The 22-year-old didn't end there. She then followed up by telling her fans, "Starving is not a 'diet' and throwing up isn't something that only extremely thin men or women do. Eating disorders do not discriminate. Neither does any other mental illness. These are deadly diseases that are taking lives daily. So please, let's be cautious of the words we use when discussing ED's and other mental illnesses.

"It's time we start taking mental illness as serious as physical illnesses," she wrote.