Celebrities are told to lose/gain weight by their employers, but not their supporters. They do it for their own financial gain. Lindsey Lohan stopped getting work because she stopped showing up to work, not because of her weight loss. Many of those celebrities on the rehab reality tv shows are not working and have reached rock bottom. Gabourey Sidibe is famous now, despite her weight.

I just know as someone who was much larger that adding veggies to my diet and hitting up the gym a few times a week was not what made me lose weight. There are underlying issues to why many people overeat at that rate. Instead of telling the ones we love that they should go to the gym, it might help to just love them unconditionally. Bringing up their “health issues,” will never work. It really just always comes down to the individual making the decisions they wish to make.

Everyone has brought up great points. I am pleased to be a part of an important national discussion.

Anon, I think the closet we’ll get to celebrity biggest loser is celebrity fit club, and they never get fit, prop b/c they don’t exercise nearly as much as the people on biggest loser.

And I think Anon. hit it on the head, people will do things when they’re ready. So maybe I should refocus my energies on helping people get ready instead of trying to scare them into it.

thanks!

And the “health-o-meter” goes both ways… there are lots of conversations about the unhealthy lives that celebrities lead re: smoking, drinking, drugs, anorexia (see Sober House, Celebrity Rehab, Intervention, or the cover of any tabloid magazine for example). Lindsey Lohan is constantly attacked in the media for being a coked out/meth-head anorexic. Lara Flynn Boyle stopped getting work because she was so skinny… ditto to Portia de Rossi (who ended up getting more work once she gained weight) & Calista Flockheart. Megan Fox was told to gain 15lbs to do Transformers 2, while Angelina Jolie had to gain 20lbs to do Tomb Raider.

As for Gabby – like Eva said, it’s not about “getting skinny” it’s about being healthy. Did anyone notice that Mo’Nique lost a huge amount of weight? She said she did it because she wanted to be healthy for herself and for her family.

I do think that there’s a psychological component to healthy living (and healthy weight loss/weight gain) that’s all too often neglected. These are issues that needed to be discussed, talked & coached through. Education also needs to be involved… understanding “why” we eat the way we do is really important. I tell folks that the formula is tricky = 40% working out, 60% eating right, and 100% mental.

And granted, people who are not “ready” to be healthy can’t be pushed into being healthy with threats of “you might die.” A person has to be prepared. But once you see a loved one die from obesity-related causes… it kind of changes your perspective of what you should/shouldn’t be doing. I’d say the same thing to a thin person with poor eating habits who suffered a heart attack or was anorexic… or to someone who routinely smoked crack or cigarettes.

So ultimately, I’m with Eva here – we have got to toughen up and get healthy – if not for our sake then for the sake of our friends, family, and loved ones.

If I’ll be honest with myself and you all, even though I’ve always been physically small, I know that I can make healthier decisions. And to continue being honest I don’t want to go the gym, but I do think that increasing other activities like walking, dancing, playing sports etc is a step in the right direction. And honestly I like eating way too much to cut things out of my “diet” BUT adding lots of fruits and veggies into my everyday food plan is a step that I can live with. It doesn’t always have to be drastic or torturous to be healthy. It may not always be easy, but it’s definitely doable.

Thank you for the response. =) I think as a society we don’t understand weight loss and obesity correctly. As someone has lost weight (almost 120lbs) recently, the conversation becomes too much about eat right (!), go to a gym(!), and get thinner(!). I just get really bothered when I see women’s bodies being used as a vehicle to talk about an issue in larger society. Gabby is a person, and a person with feelings. To use her as the poster child of everything that is wrong with our eating habits in America, and not as a good role model for young woman who want to follow their dreams seems silly to me. I would only encourage the people who want to lose weight to lose it. I know from personal experience telling someone to lose weight because they may DIE, does not motivate them. I mean, there are many other things that could cause her to die. Right?

Thanks for the comment Amelia.