Celebs & Their Weight Issues

[MC 1]

My husband definitely doesn't like the lollipop look. We discuss this regularly as we're in the beauty business. It seems that we as a public supposedly have made our "ideal" to be what are really freaks of nature. (No, I don't mean freaks in that way). But we idolize the abnormal (or at least we're blamed for being the demand that gets the supply.)

 

Another element that we haven't discussed are the people who actually control who works. I've always wondered if there's a power trip going on. A booker (or casting director, or minion) only has power over these perfect specimens if they can somehow make them feel bad about themselves and at the same time hold the power over if they work or not. I'm pretty certain there's an element of our society that gets off on having that kind of power. Sure, they can blame it on what the camera adds, etc., but if everyone were normal looking off screen, then they'd all be the same onscreen.

[Squirrel Gymnastics 0]

Random story, but reading your posts reminds me of two beautiful identical twin girls I used to know well. They both modeled and were very serious about it, and their mother supported them doing it. But when the girls reached age 16 or so, they were told that they each needed to lose 15 to 20 pounds to continue working. These girls were pin thin, and their very wise mother took things in hand to keep her daughters healthy, saying, essentially: No friggin' way. Because she was so strong and clear and rational, the girls came to agree with her. And today they are all happy, healthy, and otherwise gainfully employed. I suddenly feel very proud of them.

[bittermuch? 0]

I'm willing to wager that even the actresses generally thought of as "curvy" (Scarlett Johannson comes to mind) look far tinier and scrawnier in person. I remember in the early 1990s when Christina Applegate was on Married with Children and she was thought to be on the curvier side for an actress, and I stood next to her once at a taping and realized that I could probably snap her in half at the waist like a twig - and I'm not a big girl.

 

On the other hand, Kim Cattrall claims in her latest book to be 5'7" and 132-135 pounds, and I've heard claims that she is actually bigger than that. Although that is certainly on the thin side when compared to the average-sized woman in the U.S., that's a reasonably healthy weight, yet Kim looks quite slim on SATC even next to miniscule SJP (and even full frontal). So who knows.

[TubaGirl 7]

I like to see photos of celebs next to Arnold Schwartzenegger. He's not as big as he was when he was bodybuilding, but you get a good idea of how big he is. And from there you can guage how big the other celeb is.

[Cutielb99 0]

‘Idol’ Studdard encourages others to lose weight

Singer has shed 100 pounds and wants others in Alabama to get inspired

Associated Press

 

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The scales of “American Idol” may have tipped in Ruben Studdard’s favor in 2003, but there are other scales he would like to tip a bit less.

 

After shedding almost 100 pounds, the Birmingham native and “American Idol” winner says he wants to help other residents of Alabama to lose weight.

 

He’s asking the 25 percent of the state’s residents who are obese to lose 10 pounds in eight weeks — a total of 10 million pounds.

 

Since committing to a weight-loss program this summer, Studdard has lost nearly 100 pounds, started eating healthier and begun exercising, according to a news release announcing the program.

 

“I’m not where I want to be, but I’m on the right track, and I’m excited about encouraging other Alabamians to begin their own weight-loss journeys,” said the 28-year-old singer, whose third album, “The Return,” was released in October by J Records.

 

Studdard told The Associated Press in a recent interview that he wanted to get in shape “because I have a family history of diabetes and high blood pressure and things of that nature.”

 

“I felt like it was necessary for me to combat those issues at a young age before it became a bigger issue. I went to this place called Duke Diet & Fitness Center for a month and learned how to change my eating habits.”

 

Scale Back Alabama, an eight-week weight-loss campaign, kicks off Jan. 4 with an event featuring Studdard. The campaign is being jointly sponsored by Alabama’s hospitals, the Alabama Department of Public Health and Barber Diaries.

[Cutielb99 0]

COVER STORY: Tyra Banks Speaks Out About Her Weight

WEDNESDAY JANUARY 24, 2007 04:40 PM EST

 

On her hit show America's Next Top Model, Tyra Banks has always stressed the importance of body confidence – but it still hurt when tabloids ran an unflattering photo of her in a bathing suit under headlines that screamed, "America's Next Top Waddle" and "Tyra Porkchop."

 

Now, for the first time in an exclusive interview with PEOPLE, Banks, 33, is publicly discussing her much-buzzed-about weight gain. "I get so much mail from young girls who say, 'I look up to you, you're not as skinny as everyone else, I think you're beautiful,' " she says. "So when they say that my body is 'ugly' and 'disgusting,' what does that make those girls feel like?"

 

As for how Banks feels about her own 5'10" body – which she says is at 161 lbs. these days, about 30 lbs. heavier than when she landed on the cover of Sports Illustrated's swimsuit issue in 1997 – she says: "I still feel hot, but every day is different. It's when I put on the jeans that used to fit a year ago and don't fit now and give me the muffin top, that's when I say, 'Damn!' "

 

In other words, yes: She has put on weight, though not nearly as much as those recent tabloid stories suggested. (Banks believes the pix were snapped at an unflattering angle.) "She has a very womanly, gorgeous body that goes up and down," says her good friend Heidi Klum.

 

In fact, Banks says that since she retired from modeling in 2005, the number on the scale has fluctuated from 148 lbs. to 162 lbs., depending on how well she is taking care of herself. "I feel more comfortable when I'm lighter – I sleep better, I snore less, I have more endurance when I work out, my arms look better," she admits.

 

Still, she isn't freaking out about wearing size 32-waist jeans or about "the fat roll" she claims to have on her back. (Her biggest source of figure angst is her size-DD breasts, which she says make it hard to find clothes that fit: "I would love for them to be a size and a half smaller.")

 

But, she adds, "I've made millions of dollars with the body I have, so where's the pain in that? If I was in pain, I would have dieted. The pain is not there – the pain is someone printing a picture of me and saying those (horrible) things."

 

In fact, it appears that by adding a little padding, Banks the businesswoman has earned a bit of credibility: Her talk show is now entering its second season, and the most recent season of Top Model delivered its strongest ratings ever. "(TV execs) think it's better when I'm at 155 lbs. – at 145, they feel I'm not as relatable," she explains.

 

Besides, Banks is having a lot more fun these days eating the pancakes off a friend's plate at IHOP than trying to fit into designer sample sizes. Of course, if someone would come up with a miracle cure for cellulite, she's not above admitting she'd be first in line. "I think every woman," she says, "would want to do something about their cellulite!"

 

For the complete story, pick up the new issue of PEOPLE, on newsstands Friday.

[nsmallaz 0]

COVER STORY: Tyra Banks Speaks Out About Her Weight

WEDNESDAY JANUARY 24, 2007 04:40 PM EST

 

On her hit show America's Next Top Model, Tyra Banks has always stressed the importance of body confidence – but it still hurt when tabloids ran an unflattering photo of her in a bathing suit under headlines that screamed, "America's Next Top Waddle" and "Tyra Porkchop."

 

Now, for the first time in an exclusive interview with PEOPLE, Banks, 33, is publicly discussing her much-buzzed-about weight gain. "I get so much mail from young girls who say, 'I look up to you, you're not as skinny as everyone else, I think you're beautiful,' " she says. "So when they say that my body is 'ugly' and 'disgusting,' what does that make those girls feel like?"

 

As for how Banks feels about her own 5'10" body – which she says is at 161 lbs. these days, about 30 lbs. heavier than when she landed on the cover of Sports Illustrated's swimsuit issue in 1997 – she says: "I still feel hot, but every day is different. It's when I put on the jeans that used to fit a year ago and don't fit now and give me the muffin top, that's when I say, 'Damn!' "

 

In other words, yes: She has put on weight, though not nearly as much as those recent tabloid stories suggested. (Banks believes the pix were snapped at an unflattering angle.) "She has a very womanly, gorgeous body that goes up and down," says her good friend Heidi Klum.

 

In fact, Banks says that since she retired from modeling in 2005, the number on the scale has fluctuated from 148 lbs. to 162 lbs., depending on how well she is taking care of herself. "I feel more comfortable when I'm lighter – I sleep better, I snore less, I have more endurance when I work out, my arms look better," she admits.

 

Still, she isn't freaking out about wearing size 32-waist jeans or about "the fat roll" she claims to have on her back. (Her biggest source of figure angst is her size-DD breasts, which she says make it hard to find clothes that fit: "I would love for them to be a size and a half smaller.")

 

But, she adds, "I've made millions of dollars with the body I have, so where's the pain in that? If I was in pain, I would have dieted. The pain is not there – the pain is someone printing a picture of me and saying those (horrible) things."

 

In fact, it appears that by adding a little padding, Banks the businesswoman has earned a bit of credibility: Her talk show is now entering its second season, and the most recent season of Top Model delivered its strongest ratings ever. "(TV execs) think it's better when I'm at 155 lbs. – at 145, they feel I'm not as relatable," she explains.

 

Besides, Banks is having a lot more fun these days eating the pancakes off a friend's plate at IHOP than trying to fit into designer sample sizes. Of course, if someone would come up with a miracle cure for cellulite, she's not above admitting she'd be first in line. "I think every woman," she says, "would want to do something about their cellulite!"

 

For the complete story, pick up the new issue of PEOPLE, on newsstands Friday.

The girl is just FAT!

[MC 1]

Interesting. I think she's finally getting to "normal". It must be a relief to not have to starve herself every day of her life!

[Hoyaheel 1,874]

I don't think she's fat--I agree with MC--I think she's getting to the normal weight she should be, not "model" weight, which is godawful skinnier than is natural to achieve for most people.....

[MissuTam 85]

nsmallaz...I do not agree with you. She is not fat. She is at a size that is normal for her.

[Squirrel Gymnastics 0]

Re. Tyra Banks's weight, I can't tell from the bathing-suit photos whether she seems healthy--that is, does she have a good amount of muscle mass? I think the most important thing is to be healthy and strong, by eating well and exercising regularly, including some kind of resistance training. If she is doing those things, it might actually be beneficial for her to weigh more. I learned in a nutrition class last semester that life expectancy is higher for people who are neither too thin nor too fat. But it isn't good health-wise to carry weight around the midsection, and she does appear to have some there.

 

Aside from health issues, I really like her statements defending her weight. In an industry that demands thinness from women, she's basically telling everyone to go fug themselves, that she's rich and working and can do whatever she wants. Yeah!

Edited January 26, 2007 by Squirrel Gymnastics

[giles_1985 0]

Re: where eating disorders fit in all of this....

 

Everyone on this board is pretty smart and I appriciate that.

So, I just wanted to put one of my personal peeves about the whole 'celebrity weight issue' out there and to know all your thoughts:

 

(For full disclosure - I'm in recovery from anorexia)

 

I get very angry when anyone links media images of skinny celebrities/models etc. to eating disorders. I understand that people, especially women, can be made to feel upset about their bodies by media images or even be driven to diet...but an eating disorder (a real, medical, diagnosed one) is in another realm altogether. I guess I just get frustrated when the term is thrown around and basically taken to mean "dieting gone too far."

 

I'm trying to find something to equate this with - perhaps cocaine use. Cocaine is glamorized sometimes, associated with the rich and famous. However, I honestly don't think that anyone could blame a full blown coke addiction on media glamorization of the drug...there are many many other factors - biological and environmental - that make a person into an addict.

 

If it was about being pretty, I would have stopped long ago.

 

 

ps: site you might find interesting if you want to know more: http://community.livejournal.com/ed_ucate/

[BobbyD 2]

Re: where eating disorders fit in all of this....

 

Everyone on this board is pretty smart and I appriciate that.

So, I just wanted to put one of my personal peeves about the whole 'celebrity weight issue' out there and to know all your thoughts:

 

(For full disclosure - I'm in recovery from anorexia)

 

I get very angry when anyone links media images of skinny celebrities/models etc. to eating disorders. I understand that people, especially women, can be made to feel upset about their bodies by media images or even be driven to diet...but an eating disorder (a real, medical, diagnosed one) is in another realm altogether. I guess I just get frustrated when the term is thrown around and basically taken to mean "dieting gone too far."

 

I'm trying to find something to equate this with - perhaps cocaine use. Cocaine is glamorized sometimes, associated with the rich and famous. However, I honestly don't think that anyone could blame a full blown coke addiction on media glamorization of the drug...there are many many other factors - biological and environmental - that make a person into an addict.

 

If it was about being pretty, I would have stopped long ago.

 

 

ps: site you might find interesting if you want to know more: http://community.livejournal.com/ed_ucate/

Well said...and good luck on your recovery!

 

And Nsmallz...Tyra is a big girl, around 5'10 when I saw her(most of it is Forehead..but that's beside the point )...She would look ridiculous being a twig with a lollipop head. Since she is a healthy girl(like Cindy Crawford is..but looks way too skinny these days)...Their physical features: including head, hands, feet...are not small and small feminine size. Trust me...being a straight man, I do check...head to toes . So I don't call them fat...Raven Symone or Monique...now there's some real fatness there. No offense to any Raven or Monique fans.

[mf'smom 0]

 

Re: where eating disorders fit in all of this....

 

Everyone on this board is pretty smart and I appriciate that.

So, I just wanted to put one of my personal peeves about the whole 'celebrity weight issue' out there and to know all your thoughts:

 

(For full disclosure - I'm in recovery from anorexia)

 

I get very angry when anyone links media images of skinny celebrities/models etc. to eating disorders. I understand that people, especially women, can be made to feel upset about their bodies by media images or even be driven to diet...but an eating disorder (a real, medical, diagnosed one) is in another realm altogether. I guess I just get frustrated when the term is thrown around and basically taken to mean "dieting gone too far."

 

I'm trying to find something to equate this with - perhaps cocaine use. Cocaine is glamorized sometimes, associated with the rich and famous. However, I honestly don't think that anyone could blame a full blown coke addiction on media glamorization of the drug...there are many many other factors - biological and environmental - that make a person into an addict.

 

If it was about being pretty, I would have stopped long ago.

 

 

ps: site you might find interesting if you want to know more: http://community.livejournal.com/ed_ucate/

Well said...and good luck on your recovery!

 

And Nsmallz...Tyra is a big girl, around 5'10 when I saw her(most of it is Forehead..but that's beside the point )...She would look ridiculous being a twig with a lollipop head. Since she is a healthy girl(like Cindy Crawford is..but looks way too skinny these days)...Their physical features: including head, hands, feet...are not small and small feminine size. Trust me...being a straight man, I do check...head to toes . So I don't call them fat...Raven Symone or Monique...now there's some real fatness there. No offense to any Raven or Monique fans.

 

Ditto on the whole thing, Bobby. NS, to say that Tyra is fat is to say that Nicole has a healty body weight. Tyra is still thinner than 60% of American Women and is cool to boot. She is a sexy, healthy woman. Fat? She is what women should be...curvy and sassy. I'm on Tyra's bandwagon, and she is not fat.

[Freckles 79]

Haven't seen what Tyra looks like lately - she's not on TV over here.

 

But I do like the fact that she defends herself, admits that she feels better when she's slimmer and has her days when she feels less sexy than others, and points out that she's grateful that her body has earned her millions of dollars. To me, this is a well-balanced, healthy response.

 

But, I'm worried that while she claims to accept herself, we're going to see a much skinnier, dieted-down Tyra in the months to come... The pressure to lose weight is very real for women on TV and it will be hard for T not to buckle.

[ElleDriver 0]

Carnie Wilson's Weight Struggle

OK!

 

In 1999, Carnie Wilson famously underwent gastric bypass surgery to cut 150 lbs. off her 300-lb. frame. Her struggle with her weight wasn't over, though, as she gained back the pounds carrying daughter Lola, now 2. But after a stint on VH1's Celebrity Fit Club, Carnie shed another 22 lbs. That was two years ago. Now, a month away from her 40th birthday, Carnie weighs 208 lbs. and wears a size 16. Opening up to OK!, the singer says she has hit "rock bottom" with her weight.

 

"Everyone can see that I'm bigger, but I cannot hibernate," she tells OK!. "I've never lied or been dishonest about what's going on in my life. Even all these years later, having had such a great weight-loss story, being back in this place is so familiar. And it hurts. I don't want to feel this way anymore. It doesn't feel good when you have to struggle to get your pants on."

 

The source of her tremendous weight gain is snacking. Since having her daughter, the former Wilson Phillips star says she turned all her focus on her little girl, leaving little to no attention to her weight or diet.

 

"I had anxiety, started snacking and gained it all back and more," she says. "I have a weakness when it comes to snacking. For me, it's a tortilla with cheese, popcorn and graham crackers, all in one night."

 

Now Carnie is determined to get back into shape -- and get pregnant.

 

"I'd like to lose 45 to 50 pounds and then try to get pregnant again. I know I will do it! I don't consider myself a failure. I just got off track."

[Baby Doll 77]

Carnie Wilson's Weight Struggle

OK!

 

In 1999, Carnie Wilson famously underwent gastric bypass surgery to cut 150 lbs. off her 300-lb. frame. Her struggle with her weight wasn't over, though, as she gained back the pounds carrying daughter Lola, now 2. But after a stint on VH1's Celebrity Fit Club, Carnie shed another 22 lbs. That was two years ago. Now, a month away from her 40th birthday, Carnie weighs 208 lbs. and wears a size 16. Opening up to OK!, the singer says she has hit "rock bottom" with her weight.

 

"Everyone can see that I'm bigger, but I cannot hibernate," she tells OK!. "I've never lied or been dishonest about what's going on in my life. Even all these years later, having had such a great weight-loss story, being back in this place is so familiar. And it hurts. I don't want to feel this way anymore. It doesn't feel good when you have to struggle to get your pants on."

 

The source of her tremendous weight gain is snacking. Since having her daughter, the former Wilson Phillips star says she turned all her focus on her little girl, leaving little to no attention to her weight or diet.

 

"I had anxiety, started snacking and gained it all back and more," she says. "I have a weakness when it comes to snacking. For me, it's a tortilla with cheese, popcorn and graham crackers, all in one night."

 

Now Carnie is determined to get back into shape -- and get pregnant.

 

"I'd like to lose 45 to 50 pounds and then try to get pregnant again. I know I will do it! I don't consider myself a failure. I just got off track."

Sure Carnie. Have another baby. You won't gain the weight right back again or anything.

[branchop 319]

Carnie Wilson's Weight Struggle

OK!

 

I personally think she looks great weight-wise. I do have issue with her hair color. God made her brunette for a reason. Most people look better with a variant of their natural color. I not against coloring your hair, just stay in the same family.

 

There are exceptions, and some people can pull off any and every color. But she would be so much more attractive with a light brown ala Jennifer Aniston (if she wants to go light) than that brassy crap. It totally washes her out.

[ElleDriver 0]

Carnie Wilson:

I Have Not Gained 79 Pounds!

Thursday March 27, 2008

Us Weekly

 

Carnie Wilson is slamming the National Enquirer for claiming that she has gained 79 pounds and plans to have another gastric bypass.

 

"If I'm 205 today, that means I am up 70 pounds," she revealed in a candid interview about her weight battle on Good Morning America Thursday. 79 pounds, she said, "is an outright lie.

 

"It is very hard being in the public eye, being scrutinized for every pound," she added.

 

"They're saying I'm going to have liposuction, another gastric bypass to have a baby," she went on. "It's laughable."

 

Nine years ago, Wilson, now 39, underwent gastric bypass after ballooning to 300 pounds.

 

About 16 months after the procedure, she was down to 148 pounds.

 

Wilson — who has struggled with her weight since age 4 — said she packed the pounds back on while pregnant with her daughter Lola, who was born in 2005.

 

"A gastric bypass patient needs follow rules," Wilson said. "I fell off the bandwagon when I was pregnant... my eating habits changed.

 

"For me, it was about snacking," she added. "Somebody can consume a certain amount of calories, and if they don't burn the calories, that equals weight gain."

 

The Enquirer stands by its story that Wilson is planning on having another surgery, but Wilson said she is losing pounds through rigid exercise.

 

She said her ideal weight is "somewhere between 150 and 170."

 

Exercising is not easy, she admitted: "When I am on the treadmill, I am thinking about lunch."

 

But Wilson (who wants another baby) said, "I am committed to this, to my health, whether I am 300 or 200 or 150 [pounds].

 

Her weight, she said, "will always be a battle — surgery or no surgery.

 

"I am committed to my daughter. I want to be a light of hope for her," she added. "[i'm not saying] you need to be a size 6 ... you need to be healthy. That is the message I want to give to her."

[ElleDriver 0]

France may ban promoting extreme thinness

Bill would make it illegal to encourage ultra-skinny models

The Associated Press

 

 

PARIS - The French parliament’s lower house adopted a groundbreaking bill Tuesday that would make it illegal for anyone — including fashion magazines, advertisers and Web sites — to publicly incite extreme thinness.

 

The National Assembly approved the bill in a series of votes Tuesday, after the legislation won unanimous support from the ruling conservative UMP party. It goes to the Senate in the coming weeks.

 

Fashion industry experts said that, if passed, the law would be the strongest of its kind anywhere. Leaders in French couture are opposed to the idea of legal boundaries on beauty standards.

 

The bill was the latest and strongest of measures proposed after the 2006 anorexia-linked death of a Brazilian model prompted efforts throughout the international fashion industry to address the repercussions of using ultra-thin models.

 

Conservative lawmaker Valery Boyer, author of the law, argued that encouraging anorexia or severe weight loss should be punishable in court.

 

Pro-anorexic Web sites

Doctors and psychologists treating patients with anorexia nervosa — a disorder characterized by an abnormal fear of becoming overweight — welcomed the government’s efforts to fight self-inflicted starvation, but warned that its link with media images remains hazy.

 

French lawmakers and fashion industry members signed a nonbinding charter last week on promoting healthier body images. Spain in 2007 banned ultra-thin models from catwalks.

 

But Boyer said such measures did not go far enough.

 

Her bill has mainly brought focus to pro-anorexic Web sites that give advice on how to eat an apple a day — and nothing else.

 

But Boyer insisted in her speech to lawmakers Tuesday that the legislation was much broader and could, in theory, be used against many facets of the fashion industry.

 

It would give judges the power to imprison and fine offenders up to $47,000 if found guilty of “inciting others to deprive themselves of food” to an “excessive” degree, Boyer said in a telephone interview before the parliamentary session.

 

Judges could also sanction those responsible for a magazine photo of a model whose “excessive thinness ... altered her health,” she said.

 

Skinny or not skinny?

Boyer said she was focusing on women’s health, though the bill applies to models of both sexes. The French Health Ministry says most of the 30,000 to 40,000 people with anorexia in France are women.

 

Didier Grumbach, president of the influential French Federation of Couture, said he was not aware how broad the proposed legislation was, and made no secret of his strong disapproval of such a sweeping measure.

 

“Never will we accept in our profession that a judge decides if a young girl is skinny or not skinny,” he said. “That doesn’t exist in the world, and it will certainly not exist in France.”

 

Marleen S. Williams, a psychology professor at Brigham Young University in Utah who researches the media’s effect on anorexic women, said it was nearly impossible to prove that the media causes eating disorders.

 

Williams said studies show fewer eating disorders in “cultures that value full-bodied women.” Yet with the new French legal initiative, she fears, “you’re putting your finger in one hole in the dike, but there are other holes, and it’s much more complex than that.”

© 2008 The Associated Press

[ElleDriver 0]

Underwood's Body Issues

By WENN

 

Country star Carrie Underwood is so paranoid about gaining weight, she keeps a strict food diary in a bid to keep herself slim.

 

The singer admits that her obsession borders on Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.

 

Underwood often thinks of herself as ugly and refuses to leave the house without makeup. And she admits to following strict guidelines when it comes to her diet to make her feel better about herself.

 

She tells InStyle magazine, "I think about what I look like probably more than I should. But I think everybody is her own worst critic. "Some days I step out of the shower, put my lotion on, and I'll be like 'Ugh, ew, ew.'

 

"If I put on five pounds, it's noticed immediately. I'm OCD like that. I count calories, fat and fiber, which is important in making you feel fuller faster, and protein, especially when I'm working out."

[sanlee 49]

Christina Ricci's Weight Worries

 

Christina Ricci is paranoid she is too fat to be a Hollywood actress.

 

The 'Speed Racer' star - who has previously been treated for anorexia - thinks she would be dismissed as overweight if she was starting out in the film industry today.

 

Ricci - who shot to fame after appearing in the film 'Mermaids' aged just nine - said: "Seriously, if I was just starting out in this business, I'd probably have to lose 20lbs.

 

"As a teenager, my favorite rejection was, 'She looks too healthy', which of course translates as, 'She needs to lose weight.' But I never had any illusions. I knew I would never be cast as the pretty girl. I went through an awkward adolescence and had braces."

 

The 28-year-old actress believes she now gets better roles because she is not as conventionally beautiful as some of her rivals.

 

She added to Britain's Independent newspaper: "This business is all about appearances, which leaves a lot of the more interesting roles to actresses like me."

 

Source: people.monstersandcritics.com

[BobbyD 2]

Cheryl Burke: ‘You Don’t Have to be Anorexic to be Beautiful’

October 9, 2008

 

When bloggers called out Cheryl Burke for putting on a few pounds, the Dancing with the Stars pro fought back. But what upset her most, she says, is the unhealthy body image issues promoted by such stories.

 

“I want kids or women out there to realize you don’t have to be anorexic to be beautiful,” the two-time Dancing champ tells PEOPLE exclusively. “There’s a lot of pressure living this Hollywood life. People expect to see you at a certain weight and when you gain a few pounds then all of a sudden it’s the talk of the week.”

 

Burke, 24, says she is secure with her looks–and she advises fans to be true to themselves.

 

“People will always have an opinion about you, whether it’s good or it’s bad,” she says. “But most important is to have a secure feeling about yourself and know that you’re beautiful regardless of what people think of you.”

 

Burke, who owns her own dance studio in San Francisco, admits it’s taken years for her to learn to embrace her curves.

 

“When I was younger, I wasn’t stick thin. I wasn’t tall. I don’t have long legs. I wasn’t naturally skinny,” she confesses. “As I grew older, I just became more comfortable in my own skin.” – Monica Rizzo

 

For more from Burke, pick up the latest issue of PEOPLE, on newsstands Friday.

[Jacey 0]

We should all look that good.

[annabeast 24]

We should all look that good.

We should all be drinking a margarita in the surf.