British actress Joely Richardson has hit back at media scrutiny over her recent weightloss - blaming her super-slender frame on a recent high energy diet and a bout of flu. The 42-year-old actress, who was snapped last October (08) at a celebrity party looking thinner than usual, claims she was disturbed and upset by reports she was suffering from an eating disorder. Although she has always sported a slender physique, Richardson states she is unconcerned by Hollywood's obsession with youth and maintaining a size zero figure - insisting she is offered more parts now she is older. She tells U.K. magazine Now, "The headlines were really disturbing. What was upsetting was the idea that I had anorexia or bulimia. My thing has always about strength and fitness. "I changed my diet to get more energy, not to lose weight. I had a lot on my plate and needed to find new ways of getting the energy to keep up. I wasn't trying to lose weight." She adds, "My career has never been about looks and I haven't felt pressure to conform. I've been offered more jobs as I've got older. I resent the idea that if you lose weight you'll have a more successful career."