REUTERS

Actresses Angelina Jolie and Tilda Swinton talk as actor Brad Pitt looks on at the 18th annual Screen Actors Guild Awards in Los Angeles.

Los Angeles - Angelina Jolie’s slight frame drew gasps from the crowd when she appeared on the red carpet during a Hollywood awards ceremony last week.

Even by her own super-slim standards, the A-list actress looked positively waif-like in a black Jenny Packham gown that highlighted her bony physique when she attended the Screen Actors Guild Awards with long-time partner Brad Pitt.

A source who worked with Ms Jolie, 36, said that the mother of six often forgets to eat - and when she does, she survives on little more than a handful of nuts and berries.

During a recent photoshoot, the Tomb Raider star ate just a few almonds and picked on fruits including acai, goji, blueberries and chokeberries. The source said: “She requested bowls of the berries, and that is all she ate during the day, even though there was a full buffet lunch on offer.

“She said she was so busy with the kids that she forgets to eat, and that when she does sit down she prefers all her fruits and vegetables to be organic. She particularly likes exotic berries and was talking about how they were packed with nutrients.”

Acai berries are the latest fad in Hollywood as they are said to boost the metabolism and promote weight loss. Grown predominantly in Brazil, the small purple fruit is touted as being high in fibre and packed with anti-ageing nutrients and antioxidants. Recent studies in America showed it contained the same combination of vitamins as raspberries and blackberries.

The source added: “Angie looks painfully thin. She laughs off suggestions that she is too thin or unhealthy in any way and puts it down to her busy lifestyle. But she is looking unhealthy. Everyone was talking about how her shoulder bones were protruding.”

At 5ft 8in, Ms Jolie should weigh between 9st and 11st. According to reports, her weight has recently slipped to about 7st.

The actress has previously spoken about her weight loss, saying she was unable to eat after her mother Marcheline died from cancer in 2007. - Daily Mail