Rebel Wilson’s fascination with weight loss speaks to society’s obsession with looks. (Photo: Pascal Le Segretain / Getty Images)
In 2020 Rebel Wilson made a commitment to their health. She was clear: the main goal of the resolution was to improve her general well-being by making more informed eating habits and exercising regularly. And even though she’d set herself a goal of 165 pounds – which she’d achieved in less than 12 months – that was always secondary.
The fascination for Wilson, however, did not lie in the holistic view of their trip. Rather, it has been fully focused on the 60 pounds she dropped.
According to psychiatrist Dr. Anisha Patel-Dunn, head physician at LifeStance healthSociety’s interest in celebrity weight loss stems from the fact that we idolize celebrities and see them as a reflection of ourselves and what we may one day achieve. And when a new celebrity loses weight, Dr. Patel-Dunn, this is a combination of everything we like to talk about as a society: celebrities and body image.
This collective preoccupation with Wilson’s health and weight is related to the idea that value, as a Western society, is directly related to appearance. Leah Kern, a dietless clinical nutritionist at Lenox Hill, believes. Interestingly, the 40-year-old Australian actress actually experienced this herself. In a recent interview, she admitted that now that she has lost weight, people treat her differently.
“Sometimes people didn’t necessarily look at you twice because they were taller,” she shared during an interview The morning crew with Hughesy, Ed and Erin. “Now that I’m in good shape, people are offering to carry my groceries to the car and keep the doors open for you.”
Kern points out that celebrity diet culture is only a small part of a bigger problem. “We are a superimpressive society and we are desperately looking for answers when it comes to changing how we look. When you see someone in public accomplishing something you want, like weight loss, you believe you can, too, ”says Kern.
The story goes on
But more often than not, the deeper we dig into a celebrity’s diet, the more we may harm ourselves. B. by copying his meal plans or daily training. According to Evelyn TriboleIf you settle on the idea that you need a fancy diet or fitness routine to achieve your goals, you are continuing to validate the idea that your body on its own is not enough. Which, spoiler, is wrong. “Diet culture is toxic and has normalized eating habits for the past twenty years,” she says. “Eating disorders have doubled. This is because nutritional culture hijacked health care with the idea that health and wellbeing make someone feel safe in their body. “So if you diet after these celebrities, you’re outsourcing your decisions to someone who doesn’t even know you.
So what do we do To change the conversations around celebrities who have lost weight, we need to change society’s relationship to weight. Wilson was up to something with her “Year of Health”, but some of her methods – like a personal trainer and going to a detox and wellness center in Austria – were a bit out of reach for most.
“We need to shift the focus from losing weight to healthy practices that are more sustainable,” says Tribole. “It’s as simple as getting enough sleep, drinking enough water, and eating enough fruits and vegetables.” The moment you put weight on your ideal outcome – which should be good health – prepare for disappointment as 90 percent of people regain the weight they lost.
In Wilson’s favor, interest is confusing to her too. “I also find it interesting that people are paying so much attention to a weight loss transformation,” she said on the radio show, especially “when the world is so busy.”
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