Raven-Symone’ Says Being Body Shamed as a Child Led to Her ‘Mental Issues’

During an interview with PEOPLE, Raven-Symone spoke candidly about her  childhood issues with her weight and how she wishes she was raised in today’s society where body shaming is becoming less acceptable.
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The 31-year-old said that being body shamed as a child for her size led her to experience some mental health issues.
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In 2015, while she was still a co-host on The View, Symone spoke out about her life on the set of the ‘Cosby Show’. She said that by the time she was 7-years-old, she had restrictions on the types of foods she was allowed to eat.
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“It was definitely hard,” she said on The View. “I remember not being able to have the bagel or anything. We would call it crafty, where it’s just a table of food, ready for you to eat whatever you want. I remember people would be like, ‘You can’t eat that. You’re getting fat!’ I’m like, ‘I’m 7! I’m hungry!’ ”
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Symone says despite her childhood experiences, she’s happy to see that society is more accepting of people’s differences.
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“I love embracing your body,” she told PEOPLE. “In this day and age you have all kinds, and it’s funny, it’s serious, it’s every color, it’s every head shape, it’s every hair. And there’s androgyny, and there’s LGBT coming in, and it feels good. We didn’t have it enough last time and I guess that’s what the past is for — to make sure the present is what it needs to be.”