Barton: 'Don't compare me to Richie'

Mischa Barton

Actress Mischa Barton has hit out at the media's obsession with her weight and the size zero debate, insisting she does not suffer from any eating disorders--unlike her pal Nicole Richie.

The former O.C. star, 21, understands the pressures of being in the spotlight as a role model, but despises the way the media constantly associates her with Richie, who suffers from hypoglycemia.

The condition means the skinny socialite's blood sugar levels are often too low to provide an adequate amount of energy for her body.

She says, "I am a normal weight. I understand the responsibility that comes with a role in a TV show that is watched by millions of teenagers...but the thing is that I am naturally this shape. I have a very fast metabolism and it is sometimes annoying when you are compared to people who are clearly not naturally that way.

"I am sensitive to people like Nicole who have body issues, but I am always pretty much the same weight."