LA Times posted a most interesting article yesterday on celebrities and the battle of the bulge. Rather than shamefully hiding weight struggles from the public eye, celebrities are using their weight struggles as a means to cash in…the big bucks.
Kristie Alley, anyone? Carnie Wilson, yeah?
Great points were made in this article:
1. Even the rich and famous are not immune to the obesity epidemic taking place in our nation — trainers, dietitians, personal chefs, and all.
2. Bariatric surgery does not produce miracles.
3. The traditional “eat less, move more” is…well, boring. Boring in the sense that it won’t earn prime time television airing, but it sure gets the job done.
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Reading this article was timely — my first bariatric patient was implanted with the Lap Band® yesterday. I’m anxious and excited to see the patient’s progress and wish them all the best!
And if you watch trashy TV like me, you may watch Kendra (but probably not, because it is really, really bad reality TV). And you may have found ex-Playboy Bunny’s post-baby body struggles easy to relate to. I really appreciate Kendra for her “no fuss…take me as I am” approach to…everything! Especially her weight.
Question: Do you tend to “respect” or “disrespect” (for lack of better terms) celebrities for making public their weight struggles? Do you find it easier to relate to those who struggle with their weight or leading a healthy lifestyle?
Thanks for all your anniversary love! 🙂
Happy day,
Prevention RD 
Celebrities who show their weight struggles in a tasteful way I think is great. Even more often I see celebrities stories of eating disorders. It shows that they are real and relatable and can be that extra motivator for some people to get moving.
I like to see a celebrity openly struggle with their weight because it’s a good reminder that celebrities deal with the same issues that we do. I can’t relate to some waif-like celebrities that talk about living a healthy lifestyle when you know that a combination of drugs, cigarettes, and starvation are keeping them looking slim.
I’ve never really thought about it. I guess celebs that show their struggles in a respectable way can be relatable and helpful to others. Those who make money of it are just annoying.
I think it shows that their humans with issues and that makes them more relatable, whether it be in their weight issues or generally.
I respect ones that make it public, that are actually trying to be open and honest about it. I think it shows a real side. I appreciate the ones who admit it takes hard work over the ones who look anorexic and say they don’t ever workout and eat burgers every day. Right…..
I dont like that celebrities are always ‘talking’ about weight. I like Kendra’s approach. I look up to the celebrities that think that way, that arent obsessed with their weights. I must be hard to do considering the world has an eye on their weight at all time…So to see woman who are able to ignore the pressure and just love their body regardless is amazing to me!
Dana
http://happinessiswithin.wordpress.com/
I respect celebrities who have come out about their struggles with weight. I think it makes them more human!
I think it’s great when celebrities show struggles with weight gain especially to the teenage population. I feel like this is such a vulnerable group and for teens to see that celebrities have their struggles too is a huge plus. It really irritates me though when the media bash celebs who are clearly not a size zero. I love hearing those celebs comeback remarks….more power to them!
I respect celebrities that are honest about their struggles or hard work to stay fit, but not those that showcase it for profit… like being a spokesperson for Jenny Craig, then gain all their weight back afterwards.
It bothers me when the skinny ones say, ‘oh I eat everything I want and never exercise’… whether it’s true or not, it does not promote a healthy lifestyle, and they act so proud of it!
Oh my god! I love Kendra. The show is so bad it’s hilarious. The theme song is the best/worst theme song ever on tv.
I think it’s great when celebrities talk about weight struggles. I hate when they say they stay thin by chasing their kids around. It’s bull.
I actually love Kendra- and I LOVE the fact that she decided to do another season of her show right after the baby and was comfortable having her struggles aired… that takes a stronger person than myself!
I like it when celebs are honest with their weight. There’s no Hollywood gene that makes you eternally young and slim, so I think it’s nice when a celebrity comes out and says they struggle.
Hey, I’m OK with Kiera Knightly looking like a beanpole, but don’t tell me you chug three beers nightly and have a burger for dinner. Just be honest that you struggle and actively try to stay slim. I’d love to see a person in Hollywood who is not on a diet. Chances are, it’s more Rosie O’Donnell than Cameron Diaz, who never stops insisting she eats like a man. Sure, you’re almost 40, eat like a frat boy, and look like that. And I’m really 902 years old but look great because I wash my face before bed.
Celebrities drive me crazy any way, but I kind of like when they make their weight struggles public. Too many people put them on a pedestal, like they aren’t human, but really they are just normally people that are on TV that have normal issues. I think they can be someone to identify with and a symbol that no one is perfect and weight loss isn’t easy.
I respect them but it does annoy me how easy they can make it look. We don’t have the same resources available to us. I do like that it helps open everyone’s eyes to the impossibility of looking like Hollywood stars 24/7. And I feel worse for those that struggle with their weight because they are in the spotlight and receive a lot more criticism.
I love watching Kendra, it’s a guilty pleasure.
The only thing that drives me crazy is when celebrities talk about how they love pizza and cookies and eat it all the time. EYE ROLL…when you are 5’10” and weigh 100 you don’t eat that way ALL THE TIME! I just wish people would be REAL. You don’t have to confess your struggles to the world but don’t be something you aren’t!
I watch Kendra! Ha. I just saw the episode where she was considering liposuction, and I was so glad that her hubby talked her out of it. It’s so sad that the pressure to be a size zero is so great, that she would consider surgery… especially after just having a baby! She needs to cut herself a break!
Amanda (WannaBe Chef)
http://amsterwill83.wordpress.com
Nice post..
Celebrities come across as always being super thin. I think it’s great to see those who do struggle and know they are ‘real’ people too. I have enjoyed reading about Jennifer Hudson’s struggle and her new body thanks to her Weight Watcher’s sponsor.
i am not sure how i feel about the whole celeb weight loss or not weight loss thing……i think we care too much about what they do and what they do not do! happy belated anniversary!
I’m with everyone else….it is SO frustrating when celebs look stick skinny, yet claim they eat whatever they want and never work out. Ummm….yeah. I highly doubt that for most of them, but even if that is the case, I hate how young girls are reading that and probably thinking there is something “wrong” with them because they CAN’T eat what they want and they would never look like that even if they tried. Anyway, rant/over! 🙂
I LOVE Kendra! I think she’s a great example of someone who has a healthy approach towards her diet and losing weight, yet is sadly getting the pressure from Hollywood to lose the baby weight ASAP. I think she looks AMAZING for having a 5 month old!
Great post, and trashy as it is, I like Kendra too. I respect celebrities for coming forward with their struggles but not when they are promoting something unhealthy like a fad diet or miracle flush or some sort. But when they come forward and say I need to exercise more and make better food choices, then they show the public that everyone has to do it the same and their are no quick fixes.
I think it can definitely be a positive thing when celebrities discuss their weight struggles. They are expected to all have perfect bodies but there still is a struggle for some. It shows the public that they are human like the rest of us. If you want to see results, you need to work at it.
I don’t know how I feel about celebrities and their weight struggles. If it is a genuine struggle, then yes, I think many people are able to relate to them. But for instance, the Kardashian’s (which I must admit, I love their show) with their Quick Trim really bothers me.
I do like that about the Kendra show. Celebs are whack and that is a fact. I don’t know if they are truly happy sometimes.
I would totally watch Kendra if we still had cable t.v…. I think it’s good if celebrities focus on being healthy and show that it’s not easy and takes an old-fashioned healthy diet and plenty of exercise (if done the healthy way)… We see too many unrealistic and unhealthy bodies in Hollywood.
I respect celebrities that are open about weight problems. I think it would do the world a lot more good if people didn’t pretend it was easy to stay a size 2. I only saw the Kendra show a few times but I really liked it/her.
I guess I am one of the few that could care less. I look at “celebs” as being their own person and I know that they deal with the same issues EVERYONE deals with. Whether that be about weight, love, money, drugs… people tend to forget that their jobs are celebrities, but they are still human.
The only reality TV show I slightly follow is Kirstie Alley’s new show. It’s actually entertaining, and she’s funny so I like watching her. And I do think it takes some courage to admit your flaws, especially when you’re in the limelight like that, so I respect anyone who is open about their imperfections. Beyond the cliché, “Oh, I’m not perfect. I’m totally normal! People don’t realize how down to earth I am until they meet me,” stuff that so many stick-thin, gorgeous actresses/musicians tend to repeat in every magazine article they’re featured in. I loved Tracey’s comment, though. It is SO annoying to hear waifish women talk about how they go to Taco Bell twice a week to make themselves seem relatable. It actually makes them seem LESS relatable, because if they do actually gorge on fast food and stay so thin… o.O
I don’t really follow celebrities, but I think that in some ways it’s a good thing when they openly share their weight struggles. It makes them more human and relate-able, which is good b/c too often they are treated like they’re superhuman. On the flip side, however, they do have access to more resources than the rest of us; my mom loves to say she’d look like Jennifer Aniston too if she had a personal trainer, a personal chef, etc.
I think celebrities going public about their weight struggles can be really good — it shows they’re human too! And if they succeed in losing the weight it’s really inspirational!
Honestly, Ive never paid a whole lot of attention to it. I mean, I’ve read their “diet tips” and that kind of thing. But somehow its never really meant anything to me. I’ve always been a fan of doing things my way. Probably because Im so stubborn.
I respect celebrities for showing the complexities of weight loss. So often celebrities seem put so high on a pedestal and weight issues bring them down. With that being said I wish more celebrities would show a natural (non-pill), diet and exercised approach to diet.
Thanks for linking to the article since The LA Times tends to fall off my radar. Looks like dealing with fat is the great equalizer — kind of like stair climbing…
You’re right, Kendra is annoying, but honestly I think by being honest with her struggles to lose her baby weight, she’s really helped other women see that even sexy playboy bunnies aren’t immune to weight gain. I have a lot of respect for her and any other celebrity who tastefully discusses their weight/body image issues. I think it’s a great thing for “real” women to see.
I love Kendra because she is so real about everything. Annoying sometimes, yes but it was still pretty interesting seeing her just bare with real emotions.
I never really thought about respecting or disrespecting them. Guess it shows they’re like the rest of us though .