Shania Twain, the 60-year-old country music icon, has opened up about a turbulent chapter in her relationship with her body — one marked by disordered eating patterns, mirror avoidance, and a punishing physical routine she now acknowledges was deeply harmful. Speaking to The Times, Twain said menopause ultimately became an unexpected turning point toward self-acceptance.

A Breaking Point During the Las Vegas Residency

Twain revealed that during her 2019 Las Vegas residency, her discomfort with her changing body reached a crisis point. 'I stopped looking at myself in the mirror. I hated my body. I'm like, Oh, I cannot stand this changing body. But that was so unhealthy. Who cannot look at themselves in the mirror?' she said.

The singer described feeling entirely out of control as her body responded to age-related changes. 'So all of a sudden I'm bloating, and I'm definitely not in control. I can't just lose five pounds,' she explained.

Unhealthy Habits and Physical Consequences

Twain acknowledged that her drive to stay slim pushed her into genuinely dangerous territory. 'I was doing very unhealthy things. And I was working my body more than I was feeding it to keep up with the strain,' she said. According to People magazine, her punishing routine to be thinner left her malnourished and reportedly worsened an onstage injury she had sustained during the same period.

This is a candid admission that cuts against the polished image performers are often expected to project — particularly women in an industry with well-documented pressures around body image and appearance.

How Menopause Changed Her Perspective

More than five years on, Twain says her outlook has transformed entirely. 'Now I'm like, bring on the mirrors, I'm going to look at myself all day long,' she told the outlet with a laugh.

She credits menopause with forcing a fundamental shift in how she relates to her body. 'Menopause has been very good for me because I've learned that some things you cannot control,' she said. Rather than viewing that loss of control as a failure, Twain now frames it as a form of liberation — a perspective that resonates with a growing public conversation around women's health, ageing, and body autonomy.

Broader Context: Celebrity Voices on Body Image

Twain's candour is part of a wider trend of prominent women in entertainment speaking openly about body image struggles, disordered eating, and the pressures of performing into middle age. Her willingness to name the behaviour — 'very unhealthy things' — and connect it to real physical harm adds a layer of accountability that goes beyond typical wellness narratives.

As Twain continues to perform and record, her evolving self-image appears to be a central part of how she now approaches both her career and her health.