Renee Zellweger's weight attack

Apr 5, 2008, 10:00 GMT

04/03/2008 - Renee Zellweger - The Late Show with David Letterman - April 3, 2008 - Arrivals - Ed Sullivan Theatre - New York City, NY, USA © Janet Mayer / PR Photos

Renee Zellweger had a panic attack after putting on weight to star in 'Bridget Jones' Diary'.

The actress starred as lovable Bridget in the film adaptations Helen Fielding's books - 'Bridget Jones' Diary' and 'Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason' - but says gaining weight was the most dangerous part.

She said: "My body is whacked by the time we finish one of those. It's not good for you! Did you see that movie about fast food, 'Super Size Me'?

"I had a panic attack watching all the specialists talking about how bad it is to put on that much weight in such a short period of time. They were all saying, 'You must stop this now or you're going to die.' Health professionals warned me, too, but I was like, 'La, la, la. I'm not listening!' "

Renee also said she thought she would enjoy the opportunity to overindulge, but ended up hating the process.

She said: "You get to live your fantasies about non-stop chocolate consumption, or ordering pizza and spaghetti and garlic bread, but after a week of that it doesn't feel good.

"And losing it afterwards is horrible, absolutely horrible. On one side, it's fantastic, because you go back to taking care of yourself. But for the first lap around the running track, I felt like I had a small toddler attached to my back!"

(C) BANG Media International