Actress Calista Flockhart blames the success of 1990s TV show Ally McBeal for her dramatic weight loss and ill health.

The Emmy award-nominated actress once collapsed through dehydration during filming and was often criticised for her thin appearance.

But Flockhart denies she ever suffered from an eating disorder and blames the stresses and success of the TV show for her slim figure.

She says, "I have honestly never dieted in my life. My parents and friends tell me that I have always looked the same since high school.

But during (Ally McBeal), when we were filming and working so hard, I became stressed and did not eat as much as I should.

"I think, on a frame like mine, if I lose a few pounds, it makes a big difference. There was no anorexia or bulimia or any other such thing. I hated every bit of attention on my weight and size. Even now, I can't put into words what exactly happened."

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