This past week there was some major drama in the Pop Culture world when Lizzo and her weight was brought up in an interview with Fitness Guru, Jillian Michaels.
Last week, Michaels asked BuzzFeed News’ "AM to DM" host Alex Berg, "Why are we celebrating her body? Why does it matter? Why aren't we celebrating her music? 'Cause it isn't gonna be awesome if she gets diabetes… I love her music. My kid loves her music. But there’s never a moment where I’m like, 'And I’m so glad that she’s overweight.' “ (USA Today, 2020)
It’s no news that body shaming has been a trending topic for women in America since, well, forever. But ever since social media gave a voice to literally anyone with access to the internet, more and more people are able to voice their opinions on every photo/video posted which of course creates more pressure to look a certain way. Before I go any further, let me say that Lizzo has been one of my favorite artists since 2018. Her music, her lyrics, her confidence, her persona have all made nothing but a positive impact on my life. She’s great to put on when you’re going through a breakup, or when you have a job interview, or when you just want to feel like a total badass woman, Lizzo is your girl!
However, we can’t ignore the fact that she - according to medical science- is obese. The word “obese” sounds horrible which is why in more recent years we’ve used other words to describe heavier set women. Thick, curvaceous, full bodied, voluptuous, and none of these words take away the beauty the woman can embody. These terms we use are speaking on the fact that someone’s body is bigger than the average- and to some extent- could be considered unhealthy.
When Jillian Michaels said, “'Cause it isn't gonna be awesome if she gets diabetes.” it sounds awful to hear but honestly it's not that far from the truth.
Back in 2018, Cosmopolitan magazine featured their first plus sized model, Tess Holliday, who is a size 22. When I first saw the cover, I had mixed emotions of excitement because it finally wasn’t just another incredibly fit superstar on the cover, but my other emotion was concern for the younger girls who thought that body image was representing a healthy lifestyle.
Model Ashely Graham is another plus sized model who actually has been a huge inspiration in my life because she really has shown how a plus sized model can be very healthy. I see that Ashely Graham is at the gym or doing a workout all the time. Me, a 130lb woman, could not do half of the exercise that Ashely Graham does. I don’t have the stamina, I don’t have the endurance, I don’t even have the patience to try. So just because Ashely is (maybe 55lbs heavier?) than me, doesn’t mean I’m the healthy one.
Now back to the Jillian and Lizzo scandal, Jillian went on to defend herself by saying she was once overweight herself so she understands Lizzo more thank people thinks she does. And again, I’m not here to blog about gossip nor choose sides. I just want every person reading this to know that being healthy on the inside is most important in life because that’s what’s going to allow you to live the longest. At the end of the day, we all have different body structures and that’s something only science has control over. The amount someone weighs doesn’t necessarily reflect how healthy they are. Whether or not you think you’re beautiful is up to you and only for you to decide. I do think we need more women like Lizzo who are naturally curvy and who advocate for body positivity. #feelinggoodashell