America Ferrera On Her Weight Loss Backlash
America Ferrera has recently lost a good amount of weight, apparently:
Ugly Betty star America Ferrera has hit back at claims she has given in to pressure to lose weight. The curvaceous star of the hit comedy has lost 20 pounds in recent weeks, prompting criticism from those who hailed her a role model for normal-sized women.
Ferrera blames the weight loss on a hectic shooting schedule - but admits she feels better slimmer. The 23-year-old says, “I feel like I’m a regular person. I’m a size 10 or 12, which is totally normal. But I do feel that since I wanted to get in better shape, there has been a bit of a backlash.”
I can totally relate to what America is saying here. I have many friends who are “normal” women. Some of them are quite strident in their “love me as I am” attitudes, and I wholeheartedly support and agree with them.
Yet, within the past year, I’ve lost a lot of weight; WAY more than Ferrera. My reasons were my own; I’ll just say I did it partially for health reasons, and partially because the world just treats me better when I’m skinnier, and by golly, I quite prefer getting treated well.
Many of my friends, quite indirectly, mind you, say and do things that make it clear they consider me a “traitor to the cause”. IMHO, if a person gains weight, or loses weight, it’s his or her own business. The size of my belly, or Ferrera’s, is not a political or sociological statement. I would advise America to follow Bob Dylan’s lead, and just be herself without letting anyone appropriate her as a “cause”.
Interestingly, there are probably restrictions related to her role on Ugly Betty. Whole plot lines would disappear if Betty ended up as skinny as her sister. I’m sure America has to keep that in mind.
But that’s between her and the show. The rest of us need to let her be. If she gains weight, she’s still be just as lovable. If she loses weight, she’ll still be lovable then, as well.
Tags: America Ferrera, body-image, Ugly Betty, weight-lossRelated Stories
POSTED IN: America Ferrera, Betty Suarez, Commentary, Interviews
2 opinions for America Ferrera On Her Weight Loss Backlash
John King
Sep 24, 2007 at 9:37 pm
Leave the lovely lady alone! Just as it was idiotic to call her ‘chubby’ or ‘fat’ before her weight loss, it is eqaully so to criticise her after it. Whose life is it anyways?
kate smith
Jan 26, 2008 at 5:14 pm
GOOD FOR HER for loosing weight. If she feels healthier 10 or 20 lbs lighter then she should be the weight she feels the best at.
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