Prescott bulimia confession hailed

Mr Prescott, 69, admitted that he "took refuge" in bingeing on comfort food before vomiting it up during the stressful early years of Tony Blair's Labour government.

He wrote in the Sunday Times that he had not had bulimia for over a year and hoped that his revelation would help other sufferers.

"I'm sure it was to do with stress. I wasn't doing it all the time, and there would be gaps of weeks and months, but during those years when we first got into power, I let things get on top of me and took refuge in stuffing my face," he said.

Consultant psychiatrist Dr Ty Glover said Mr Prescott's confession would help other men with eating disorders. "It's a hugely brave and courageous thing for John to come out and admit that he was a bulimia sufferer," he said. "It's hard enough for a young girl to confess to, but for a high profile male politician approaching 70, it's especially impressive."

Mr Prescott said his bulimia dated from his appointment to Labour's shadow cabinet in the 1980s and the long hours he put in drafting policy documents.

He would gorge on burgers, chocolate, fish and chips, crisps or Marks & Spencer trifles - and sometimes even a whole tin of Carnation condensed milk.

Although he tried to keep his eating disorder secret from his wife Pauline, she realised what was wrong and persuaded him to see a consultant, who confirmed he had bulimia nervosa.

Mr Prescott, who resigned last June and will retire as an MP at the next election, is now supporting an NHS campaign to raise awareness of eating disorders.

He wrote in the Sunday Times: "I've never confessed it before. Out of shame, I suppose, or embarrassment or just because it's such a strange thing for someone like me to confess to. People normally associate it with young women - anorexic girls, models trying to keep their weight down, or women in stressful situations, like Princess Diana."