"Why are we celebrating her body? ... It isn't going to be awesome if she gets diabetes," the former "Biggest Loser" coach said, prompting immediate social media outrage.
Former "Biggest Loser" trainer Jillian Michaels has heard your criticism over her comments about Lizzo's body, and she just doesn't care.
The fitness expert doubled down on her original statements made on Buzzfeed's "AM to DM" show where she asked, "Why are we celebrating her body? Why does it matter? Why aren't we celebrating her music? 'Cause it isn't going to be awesome if she gets diabetes."
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View StoryFans criticized Michaels, saying she was body-shaming the "Truth Hurts" singer, and slammed her for suggesting Lizzo might be at risk for diabetes without knowing anything about her current health status.
In an attempt to clarify her earlier statements, while staying true to her original message, Michaels dropped a tweet Wednesday afternoon that did little to appease the masses.
"As I've stated repeatedly, we are all beautiful, worthy, and equally deserving," Michaels wrote. "I also feel strongly that we love ourselves enough to acknowledge there are serious health consequences that come with obesity."
She called for people to "prioritize" their health because they love their bodies and themselves. It's a tough line to draw in this era of body positivity, but Michaels is coming from the place of a fitness trainer who's spent her life working with obese people who are suffering health problems related to their weight. And she firmly believes in a correlation between the two.
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View StoryAs expected, the apology went over about as well as her original comments. Granted, she had some supporters in her corner, but most just continued accusing her of body-shaming.
"Equating fat with automatically being unhealthy & slim with being healthy is inaccurate & incredibly dangerous," commented user @JRYussuf. "Fat people deserve to exist without the pressure to change their size or health. Fat people don't need to desire to change their bodies to be deserving of dignity."
On the other hand, @MightyMykell had Michaels back, writing, "I dont think your tone toward Lizzo was judgmental, It was honest. Even if she is healthy at her size, most aren't and we shouldn't promote unhealthy lifestyles. In this case, sizes."
The bottom line is that there is no way to discuss weight without provoking outrage somewhere. Some people firmly believe that obesity leads to health complications, thus it should not be applauded in any capacity. Others believe that people should simply embrace the body they're in and practice self-love, rather than shaming and that it is possible to be healthy or unhealthy at any size.
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View StoryThere is no totally right answer, and Michaels was probably going to lose the moment she stepped into the conversation. Had she applauded Lizzo for embracing her size and expressing herself with confidence as a woman, she would have faced criticism for supporting someone who is overweight without acknowledging possible health risk factors.
"I'm just being honest. I love her music, my kid loves her music, but there's never a moment when I'm like, 'I'm so glad she's overweight,'" Michaels said on "AM to DM." "Why do I even care? Why is it my job to care about her weight?"
Really what Michaels was trying to was figure out was why there is this huge conversation about Lizzo's body that often sounds way louder than any conversations about her talent and music. That answer is simple enough: because in a society that objectifies women at unhealthy thin weights, people are thrilled to have someone like Lizzo out there working it and owning it just as she is.
Following are just some of the reactions to Jillian's attempt to apologize ... or at least clarify her initial comments.
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View StoryEqating fat with automatically being unhealthy & slim with being healthy is inaccurate & incredibly dangerous.
@JRYussuf
Fat people deserve to exist without the pressure to change their size or *health.*
Fat people don't need to desire to change their bodies to be deserving of dignity.
I dont think your tone toward Lizzo was judgmental, It was honest. Even if she is healthy at her size, most aren't and we shouldn't promote unhealthy lifestyles. In this case, sizes.
@MightyMykell
Don't let these overly sensitive social media bullies make your statement more than it is.
The problem here is that you commented on her body and worse, on television. If that isn't fat shaming I don't know what is. You had no right to comment on someone else's body, no one does. As a “professional” trainer you should know how damaging this is. Do better ✌️
@jenn_reimer
She does have a point, though. There's a difference between respecting somebody's right to make unhealthy, body-destroying choices and celebrating them as "brave" and "beautiful".
@XanderFM
Do you KNOW Lizzo doesn't have diabetes? She might. And she is infinitely more inspiring than you. What she does and how she represents herself has singlehandedly done more for my mental and therefore physical health than ANYone. I'd rather live in her world than yours
@NitraQueen
Thank you for having an opinion. You're allowed to have one and not start an "apology tour" for it...people are crazy.
@OneWritersLife
You do know that someone that's fat does not automatically mean they're unhealthy or obese. Same way that someone that's skinny does not automatically mean they're healthy.
@bvbiigvll
Your comments were extremely rude & uncalled for. You've made your living profiting off of peoples' hatred of their bodies, so it's not surprising you'd want to tear Lizzo down. I'm glad I'm not your daughter/niece/etc. I can't imagine how screwed up my view of myself would be.
@xoxodanika
By all means be proud of you but
@Yang2O2O
Being overweight (BMI of 25-29.9), or affected by obesity (BMI of 30-39.9) or severe obesity (BMI of 40 or greater), greatly increases your risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Unhealthy habits should not be celebrated.
hi, you're wrong and you're hurting people
@fatnutritionist
hi, you're wrong and you're hurting people
@fatnutritionist
hi, you're wrong and you're hurting people
@fatnutritionist
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