Pretty Little Liars star Tammin Sursok, 40, lays bare six-year battle with a ‘severe’ eating disorder that saw her weight drop to 100LBS – as she reveals how she’s trying to protect her young daughters from same struggles

Tammin Sursok has opened up about her battle with an eating disorder and how she makes sure she spreads body positivity to her young daughters.

Appears on the Vulnerable podcast, the 40-year-old actress opened up about her eating disorder, which she suffered from between the ages of 17 and 23.

The mother of two added that she felt like parts of her young adulthood were “neglected,” explaining that she suffered from an eating disorder that no one noticed.

“I had a really bad eating disorder, no one said anything and I was really sick,” she explained to host Christy Carlson Romano.

Tammin told Vulnerable host Christy Carlson Romano that she had a 'very serious eating disorder' that no one said anything about

“It was also looked at, 'she looks great,'” continued the actress, who hosts the Woman on Top podcast. “And I look back and I think… I don't look great, I look like a bag of bones.”

Tammin went on to say that she gets a lot of messages from young girls about her appearance when she was sick, saying that it makes her sad.

“(They said things like), 'I wanted to be you, like I wanted to look like you and I also didn't eat much because I wanted to be as thin as you,'” she recalled.

The actress said that as she grew older she realized there was no “blame game” where children were influenced by what they saw on TV, but said that “she would notice” if her own children suffered as she did.

The South African-born actress, who lives in Nashville with husband Sean McEwen, has two daughters, 10-year-old Phoenix and four-year-old Lennon.

Tammin explained that she is more aware of the signs of an eating disorder because of what she knows now and what she has experienced while in the public eye.

“Awareness is the first step,” she explained.

The actress also revealed that she goes to therapy every week – including couples therapy – and emphasized that this is not “because it's broken, but because I don't want it to be broken.”

Tammin explained that she is more aware of the signs of an eating disorder because of what she knows now and what she has experienced while in the public eye

The South African actress, pictured with her husband Sean McEwen, and daughters, 10-year-old Phoenix and four-year-old Lennon, says she strives to be body positive around her children

The former Home and Away star said she had struggled with an eating disorder since she was a teenager

Tammin admitted that in the past she has lost up to 50 pounds by forcing herself to throw up after a meal. Pictured in 2003, in the middle of her battle

She also shared how she stays body positive around her children, saying that she is aware of what disordered eating looks like and does her best not to pass it on to her children.

“So one thing I do is I never examine my body in front of the mirror, never in front of my children,” she shared.

Tammin continued, “I never take myself apart, I never look at my face and try to look like I have less wrinkles, (I) never like you know, push my boobs up, I never know, you know I my stomach sucks in. never do that in front of them.'

The actress, who has previously admitted that she once made herself throw up until she weighed 100 pounds, admitted: “I know what it feels like to hate myself because of what other people have said to me.”

Tammin, who admitted she was bullied as a child for being overweight, said it played into her obsession.

“I was bullied because of my weight, I was very overweight and then I lost weight (and) that became my identity,” she reflected.

“I thought, if I stay thin, if I stay small, people will like me,” she continued. 'And what happened then? When I lost weight, I took part in a TV show.'

Tammin said her daughter Phoenix has been bullied at school before, but says she has a different perspective on it than how she dealt with it as a child.

“(She says they're) clearly having a bad day,” she said. “I was like, 'Wow.'

Tammin has been open about her body image issues in the past, admitting she was bullied as a child for being overweight and saying it played into her obsession

The actress (seen in Pretty Little Liars) also shared that she goes to couples therapy every week, stressing that it's not “because it's broken, but because I don't want it to be broken.”

Earlier this year, the ex-Home and Away actress shared a touching video explaining why she “hated” her body growing up.

The former Home and Away star made a video post to Instagram in September, featuring clips of several celebrities being shamed for their weight.

In the 40-year-old's clip, stars including the late Anna Nicole Smith and Victoria Beckham were quizzed by journalists about their weight.

“Why did you hate your body and feel so judged growing up?” Tammin captioned the clip.

She added: “We grew up knowing this is acceptable.

'No wonder so many of us hated the way we looked or strove to look what society deemed acceptable.

“I pray and hope this changes for us and our children. No one has the right to comment on your body and weight. Period of time.'