A Tale of Two Addictions: Diane Keaton on Her Compulsive Eating and Neglect of Sun Care

Diane Keaton’s passing at 79 brings into focus her own candid reflections on what she considered her “addictive nature.” While she explicitly labeled her bulimia an addiction, her stories of willfully neglecting sun care in her youth, despite knowing the risks, can be seen as another compulsive behavior with long-term consequences.
Her battle with bulimia was the more classic story of addiction. She used the language of recovery, calling herself an “addict” and describing her binging as a desperate attempt to “feed my hunger.” The sheer scale of her consumption—20,000 calories a day—speaks to a powerful compulsion that controlled her life for years.
However, her relationship with the sun also had addictive qualities. She admitted she “didn’t pay attention much” and “didn’t really care” about sun protection in her 20s. This was, in her own words, “stupid,” especially given her family’s history with skin cancer. This neglect, a form of risk-taking behavior, had consequences that “dogged” her for life, much like her eating disorder.
Both behaviors led to significant, long-term health battles. The bulimia required intensive psychotherapy to overcome its psychological grip. The sun neglect led to a lifelong fight against skin cancer, with multiple diagnoses and surgeries for both basal cell and squamous cell carcinoma.
Diane Keaton’s story is a fascinating look at how compulsive behaviors, whether with food or with health risks, can shape a life. Her eventual embrace of therapy and sunblock shows a journey from a self-described “addictive nature” to one of conscious self-care and recovery.