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Celebrity weight loss is consistently a hot topic in the news, and whether the transformation is big or small, it’s not uncommon for people to speculate on how their favorite star achieved their success, or marvel at how much better they look than before. But this conversation about weight loss can be incredibly damaging, shaming bigger bodies and creating an unhealthy expectation around body standards in the entertainment industry.
While some stars are more than willing to discuss how they lost weight and how it has impacted their lives, others would prefer the conversation to end before it has even started. Below, we rounded up four celebs who are tired of talking about their weight loss—because their careers are so much more interesting than the number on the scale.
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Rebel Wilson
Over the last two years, Rebel Wilson has been vocal about prioritizing her wellbeing with a “year of health” beginning in 2020. However, people have been quick to comment on her weight loss, and Wilson recently clarified that her health journey was more about improving her quality of life than changing how she looks. “People are so obsessed with it,“ Wilson, she told the Daily Telegraph about her weight loss, “but I get it.“
But while she understands the commentary surrounding her changing body, Wilson doubled down that her health has always been the priority. “It’s not about being a certain size or body weight or anything,” she said. “It’s just about loving yourself and loving the journey that you’re on. And to me, the women I think are most beautiful are those who step into their own power.”
The actress also shared with the Daily Telegraph her frustration with the conversation circling more around her weight than her impressive career, stating, “In 2019, I had, like, four movies come out, two which I produced and one, ‘Jojo Rabbit,’ which got nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture. Yet I get more press the following year when I do nothing except lose weight.“
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Jonah Hill
Jonah Hill is one of the most famous comedic actors in Hollywood, and the 37-year-old recently took to Instagram to kindly request that people refrain from commenting on his weight loss from the past year. “I know you mean well but I kindly ask that you not comment on my body. Good or bad I want to politely let you know it’s not helpful and doesn’t feel good. Much respect,“ he wrote on Instagram. Although the actor has improved his wellbeing over the last year, as with anyone in the spotlight or not, weight loss should never be a primary talking point or the most interesting thing about a person—and Hill agrees.
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Adele
People have long commented on Adele’s powerhouse voice and heartbreaking songwriting, but the conversation changed to her weight loss in 2020 when the songstress returned to social media to post a picture of her visibly thinner physique. From there, the conversation turned to how the singer was able to achieve her weight loss, and even surrounding the release of her latest single, ‘Easy On Me,’ weight continues to be a recurring topic when discussing the 33-year-old.
However, Adele addressed the comments head on in an interview with British Vogue, saying, “People are shocked because I didn’t share my ‘journey.’ They’re used to people documenting everything on Instagram … I did it for myself and not anyone else. You don’t need to be overweight to be body positive, you can be any shape or size.“
Reaffirming the fact that her weight loss was more for health than aesthetic purposes, Adele shared with American Vogue, “It was never about losing weight. I thought, If I can make my body physically strong, and I can feel that and see that, then maybe one day I can make my emotions and my mind physically strong.”
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Lizzo
Lizzo went under fire back in December 2020 for sharing with social media a 10 day juice cleanse she underwent, and people were quick to criticize her eating choices and comment on her weight. However, the singer clapped back shortly after on Instagram, sharing a post with the caption, “I detoxed my body and I’m still fat. I love my body and I’m still fat. I’m beautiful and I’m still fat. These things are not mutually exclusive. To the people who look to me, please do not starve yourselves. I did not starve myself. I fed myself greens and water and fruit and protein and sunlight. You don’t have to do that to be beautiful or healthy. That was my way. You can do life your way. Remember, despite anything anyone says or does DO WHAT YOU WANT WITH YOUR BODY.”
The singer then posted a video to social media talking about the impact the conversation around her weight has had on her comfort in speaking out publicly about her wellness. “As you know, I would normally be so afraid and ashamed to post things like this online because I feel like, as a big girl, people just expect if you are doing something for health, you’re doing it for a dramatic weight loss, and that is not the case,” she said. “In reality, November stressed me the fuck out, I drank a lot, I ate a lot of spicy things and things that fucked my stomach up. And I wanted to reverse it and get back to where I was,“ she said of the cleanse.
Moral of the story: maybe it’s time we focus more on celebrities’ careers and the projects they’re working on instead of their appearance or the changes they’ve made in their bodies. There’s enough conversation around what makes a healthy body as it is, and it’s not often productive to comment on weight loss or gain as it merely compounds the notion that one size is better than the other.
