Victoria Beckham says she became an expert in lying as she battled an eating disorder after being called 'fat' as a teenager and then 'Porky Spice' as a popstar.But a friend of the former Spice Girl has told the Daily Mail today that despite her attempts to hide her problems with food, it became an unspoken, open secret, in her inner circle.The insider claimed that Victoria's diet was always the same - a small portion of steamed food - and even at 'extravagant dinners' when staff would bring her her own, different, meal.Praising her bravery, a source who worked closely with Victoria for years, and counted her as a friend said: 'But yes of course, we all knew'. 'At home she only ate steamed fish and vegetables with no salt or pepper or any sauce', they added.The insider said that this would not change when she attended glitzy bashes with or without David.'When she went to events she didn't have what everyone else had, she just had steamed food that came out when everyone was having their extravagant dinners'.Another friend has claimed that she has spoken out now because she wants to help other women 'experiencing similar problems'. Victoria revealed in her Netflix doc that she suffered from an eating disorder which she became good at lying about so she could hide it from even her closest family - but a friends says it became common knowledge The former Spice Girl confesses how she 'didn't like' what she saw when she looked in the mirror so began to control her weight (pictured during her Spice Girls audition). She was nicknamed 'porky posh' Victoria says she has dealt with issues with food all her life In her new Netflix documentary, Victoria confessed she 'didn't like' how she looked in the mirror and began to control her weight in an 'incredibly unhealthy way'.She was body shamed and called 'fat' at theatre school when she was a teenager but she was dishonest about even to her beloved parents Tony and Jackie, declaring: 'I became very good at lying'.And these habits continued through her life.Victoria's documentary has been branded 'compelling, deeply personal and engaging' by critics. It also appears to be a hit with viewers. The three-part Netflix series was released on Thursday morning, following a star-studded premiere the previous evening in which the superstar was joined by husband David and three of their four children in the London unveiling. At its hearts is Victoria's emotional description of struggling with body image and food, as a result.Speaking on the three-part series, Victoria says: 'I really started to doubt myself and not like myself and because I let it affect me, I didn't know what I saw when I looked in the mirror.'Was I fat? Was I thin? I don't know, you lose all sense of reality. I was just very critical of myself. I didn't like what I saw. I have been everything from porky posh to skinny posh, I mean, it's been a lot and that's hard.'I had no control over what was being written about me or the pictures that were being taken and I suppose I wanted to control that. I could control it with the clothing, I could control my weight. I was controlling my weight in an incredibly unhealthy way.'When you have an eating disorder you become very good at lying. And I was never honest about it with my parents. 'I never spoke about it publicly, it really affects you. When you're told constantly you're not good enough. And I suppose that's been with me my whole life.' (L-R) Jackie Apostel, Cruz Beckham, Romeo Beckham, Harper Beckham, Victoria Beckham and David Beckham on the red carpet at her documentary premiere earlier in the night The three-part Netflix series was released on Thursday morning, following a star-studded premiere the previous evening in which the superstar was joined by husband David and three of their four children in the London unveilingVictoria, who catapulted to fame in the mid-90s with the Spice Girls, also recalls a moment when she was weighed by live on television by Chris Evans on his Channel 4 show TFI Friday to see if she had lost her baby weight just months after giving birth to her eldest son Brooklyn back in 1999.While at the time she was all smiles, today she reveals the toll that it took on her as a 25-year-old new mum.'I was weighed on national television,' says Victoria. 'Get on those scales, have you lost the weight?' we laugh about it and we joke about it but I was really, really young and that hurts.'Victoria's body confidence agony began when she was just a teenager and won a place at the Laine Theatre school in Epsom, Surrey – which she reveals her parents funded by remortgaging their house in Goffs Oak, Hertfordshire.She tells how despite her hard work she wasn't the best dancer, or indeed singer. But she also told how she looked different to her classmates.'I didn't look like a lot of the other girls,' she says. 'That's where I started getting a lot of criticism about my appearance, my weight.'I remember the principle of the theatre school saying to me, you know, at the end of the show we are going to just fly in. 'You girls can be flown in' meaning that we weren't looking as aesthetically pleasing as some of the others, 'so we'll just fly you in the back.'Victoria's mother Jackie also adds that the star was told 'you're overweight. You'll be at the back.'She added; 'It must have affected her, it's a very silly thing to say to someone, 'you're fat'.'