06 November 2023 , 18:26
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Karen Carpenter weighed just 77lbs at one point during her anorexia battle a new book has revealed.
The biography - titled Lead Sister: The Story of Karen Carpenter - details her struggle with the eating disorder which began in the 1970s. Karen ultimately succumbed to her illness tragically passing away in 1983 aged just 32.
Now, author Lucy O'Brien has detailed how Karen had guven her everything to receiving treatment to try and overcome the condition. In 1982 The Carpenters star began six months of intensive therapy with psychotherapist Steven Levenkron at $100 a session after checking in to the $6K/month City Regency Hotel in Manhattan.
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Karen Carpenter performing with Richard (Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images)Lucy wrote in an excerpt of her book published by THR: "Karen's willingness to set aside the time and the money showed her initial level of commitment to the therapy. Her compulsive behaviors had developed over time, so [Steven] knew it would take a while to dislodge them.
"At one of their early sessions he discussed with Karen what she was taking to expel food and she owned up, saying she could ingest more than 90 Dulcolax at once. Under his supervision, the aim was for her to cut down and eventually stop. He then asked her if she had taken anything else and she admitted to taking 10 pills a day of Synthroid, a thyroid medication, which would have the effect of speeding up her metabolism.
She continued: "Levenkron was horrified. Overdosage of thyroid medication could lead to coma, convulsions and heart attacks. 'Give me the bottle,' he said. Karen handed it over and he locked it in his desk drawer."
Her success was marred by her illness (Redferns)Grammy Award winner Karen then reportedly told the doctor "I don't need any care. I'm successful like this," to which he responded to her: "But you do need care because you are incompetent... because you can't keep yourself alive." Karen was subsequently admitted into Upper East Side intensive care hospital Lennox Hill in September 1982.
She had realised her heart was "beating funny" and upon her admission "weighed 77lbs and was severely dehydrated." Karen went on to continue her struggle with her health until she was found "unclothed and motionless on the wardrobe floor" of her childhood home on February 4 1983.
She had suffered a cardiac arrest with her heart reportedly beating once every 10 seconds. Her cause of death was determined as "emetine cardiotoxicity due to or as a consequence of anorexia nervosa."
If you or someone you know has been effected by an eating disorder for support please contact The National Eating Disorders Association at [email protected].