Britney Spears has told doctors that she has been bulimic since the age of 16. The 25 year old told staff at the Promises Centre in Malibu that she had suffered from the eating disorder for the past nine years. According to an American magazine, Spears tearfully told rehab staff, that she pigs out on junk food then makes herself vomit so she avoids putting on weight.

"Doctors are alarmed at the physical state she is in," a source at the rehab centre told the daily Express. "They confronted her about her desperately unhealthy lifestyle and the truth came pouring out." The source revealed to the Daily Express that Spears' confession made sense to staff, who were worried her medication wasn't working: "For the first few days, she’d take her tablets, then go off and eat breakfast or lunch. She was throwing the whole lot up, so, naturally, her medications weren't working. Now the medical experts know why, her progress should pick up a little speed."

Britney said she managed to avoid making herself sick during her two pregnancies, but when she gave birth she resumed with the unhealthy habit, in an effort to lose the baby weight. The source also reveals Spears' lifestyle had played havoc with her body, describing her as a "human wreck" when she first entered the rehab facility, adding "When she came here she was shaking and baking. Her whole body was wracked by spasms and she was hot one minute, then freezing cold the next.

"Her first week in detox was real hell. She was in a total mess but slowly she's pulling through."