‘It was difficult, I’ve always been hiding’: Aga Muhlach recalls ‘eating disorder,’ depression

MANILA, Philippines — ‘90s matinee idol Aga Muhlach acknowledged that the public saw how he has evolved not only as an actor, but from a heartthrob into a "dad bod."

Behind the camera, Aga confessed that his life has not always been as “gwapo” or handsome as his fans perceive him to be.

“From the ‘90s to 2000s to 2010, 2015 ‘yung mga katawan namin. That was history, ‘no? ... ’Yung pagiging payat at muscle-muscle ko nu’ng bata-bata ako, was never natural. Kaya siguro nu'ng nag-semi-retire ako, hindi ako nag-diet because I wasn’t naturally fit. Kaya siguro medyo chubby ako…” he professed at a recent press conference announcing him and Richard Gomez as new Century Tuna ambassadors.

Answering a question from Philstar.com, Aga recalled how from virtually thin, he gradually became overweight during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Then 2017, when I went back, I did ‘Seven Sundays,’ I was overweight then. Pero ang overweight ko dati was 210 (pounds). I was able to break it down to 170. From 170, naging 180, then dahan-dahan naging 200, and then pandemic, ‘yan ang sumira sa buhay ko. Ayun na nga, umabot ako ng 260,” he shared.

He blamed his excessive weight gain on binge eating: “Nagkaro’n kasi ako ng eating disorder for a while. Yeah, oo, talagang binge ako nang binge, binge nang binge. So minsan, hanggang ngayon, lumalabas pa rin ‘yun…”

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) defines “binge eating” as a “disorder” that happens “when you eat a large amount of food in a short amount of time and feel you can't control what or how much you are eating.”

Did Aga lose showbiz offers when he became overweight?

“’Di naman, ‘di naman umabot sa gano’n kasi ako na mismo, like seven years, nag-stop talaga ako,” he said.

More than in his career, the extra pandemic pounds took a toll on his mental health.

“But ako na mismo ang hindi nagpapakita. May mga nag-ooffer. Ang daming offers. The offer is always there pero ako na mismo ‘yung umaalis. Sabi ko, ‘I cannot work. I cannot’,” he said.

“It was difficult. I’ve always been hiding. I could have been busier if not for my weight… Sumobra ang overweight ko. I hit 260 but I’m supposed to be 170, so not nice! I don’t advice anyone to follow that –