Mary-Kate Olsen: ‘Eat a sandwich’

Los Angeles, June 23 (Reuters): Teen actress Mary-Kate Olsen, who with her twin sister Ashley has grown into an American pop icon and fashion brand, has entered a programme for treatment of an eating disorder reported to be anorexia.

The 18-year-old co-star of last month’s film New York Minute recently “entered a treatment facility to seek professional help for a health-related issue,” publicist Michael Pagnotta said yesterday.

“She is thankful for the encouragement and support of her friends and family, who are with her every step of the way,” he added.

A person familiar with the situation said Olsen was suffering from an eating disorder. Olsen entered a facility during the past week or 10 days and was expected to remain in treatment for about a month, the person said.

US Weekly magazine, in the cover story of its upcoming issue, identified the disorder as anorexia.

Speculation about Olsen’s rail-thin figure has been the subject of tabloids, gossip columns and the Internet for weeks. The actor herself poked fun at the issue during the twins’ recent appearance on Saturday Night Live, shouting to an extra playing herself, “You’re too skinny! Eat a sandwich!”

Pagnotta said both sisters, who turned 18 on June 13, were going ahead with plans to attend New York University together in autumn.

But Ashley Olsen will be making a planned trip later this month to Australia and New Zealand without Mary-Kate to launch overseas promotion of New York Minute — the sisters’ first theatrical feature, he said.

The twins have been in the public eye since they were nine -months-old, starring in the television sitcom Full House. Since then, they have sold millions of videos, DVDs and books and have launched their own fashion line.