Socialite Nicole Richie is begging tabloid editors to stop poking fun at her skinny frame--because the stress is beginning to make her look anorexic.

The Simple Life star has been dogged by the anorexic tag for months, but insists she simply suffers from stress and finds it difficult to eat when she feels she's being judged by photographers and journalists.

She recently took supermodel-turned-TV presenter Tyra Banks out for lunch before appearing on her talk show to discuss her weight issues, and confessed stories about her fabled anorexia simply serve to prevent her from gaining weight.

Appearing healthy and tanned on Tyra yesterday, Richie told the ex-model, "You definitely don't want people constantly looking you up and down. I know the photographers are following me every day; I know that they're looking for something wrong and that doesn't feel good at all. That obviously doesn't help me."

Richie revealed she has hired a nutritionist and has therapy sessions in a bid to control her stress levels and gain weight.

But the occasional run-in with a callous photographer leaves her in tears.

She adds, "A few days ago... I was just walking to my car like a normal person and one of the paparazzi just screamed the most vulgar things to me...and I just broke down."

For her special on Richie, Banks joined the socialite for a shopping trip in Los Angeles and secretly filmed the army of paparazzi who follow and jostle the Simple Life star daily. Banks revealed, "This is insane... A swarm of photographers this crazy was something I'd never seen before.

"There were so many photographers on the street that it was difficult to even walk. A trash can was turned over, a baby in a stroller was almost trampled on and the crowd was pushed out into oncoming traffic... It took us 20 minutes to walk one block."

Richie confessed, "I do not leave my house and if I do I go with a group of people... It's not right... I feel like I'm being attacked."