Weight loss strategies of the stars

28th January 2009

Weight loss strategies of the stars

The national spotlight can be cruel, ruthless and even career-breaking for celebrities, mostly women, who gain even an iota of a pound. Of course, that same harsh glare turns to applause and accolades when said star emerges victorious, sporting a new sleek and trim figure, the result, naturally, from “diet and exercise.” Some savvy stars have learned how to use even weight gain to their advantage, while if not for the fluctuations on the digital scales of some other celebs, they might otherwise fade into obscurity.

MSNBC’s The Scoop conjectures how Jessica Simpson might be a new recruit among the latter group of has-beens hoping their weights alone are enough to garner media attention. Simpson has a new country album out, reports The Scoop, and a “new full-figured look” to go with it — see a “porky” Jessica Simpson here in the Boston Herald or here in US magazine. Side note: Horrible outfit choice? Most definitely. Fat? Not so much. But as The Scoop reminds us:

Before we pity the star for packing on unwanted pounds, let’s remember how well weight gain-and-loss stories sell magazines.

“She’s loving it,” said a source close to Simpson, who suspects her weight gain is strategic. “It will probably get her back on covers right when she is a ‘supporting’ act on tour. I bet Joe (Simpson) has already sold the weight-loss story.”

How sad that the only surefire way for an otherwise irrelevant and washed-up female celebrity to regain the limelight is by parading about a thinner body, especially when that celeb’s “high” weight would otherwise be considered a healthy weight for the average Jane. Then again, it’s not as if Simpson’s social standing is based on any real talent to begin with.

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1 On January 28th, 2009, BigLiberty said:

This is sad, and seems obviously strategic. Additionally, if she’s really put on a significant amount of weight, you could tell regardless of the outfit. It looks like she wore an ill-fitting skin-tight outfit that purposefully accentuates certain features.

This is so dumb. And the comments are filled with hate, which just proves the wit of her strategy. How sad.

posted on January 28th, 2009 at 2:03 pm

2 On January 28th, 2009, Alyssa said:

The whole thing IS incredibly sad! The body-watching, the snarky comments, using weight gain and loss as a way to advance a career.
I’d like to see her get out of the business, do something else she enjoys, and have a life. But I don’t think her dad/manager will let that happen.
I shudder to think what is going to happen to the Simpson girls in the future.

posted on January 28th, 2009 at 3:02 pm

3 On January 28th, 2009, Rachel2 said:

As Rachel pointed out, it’s not as if she had any actual talent to begin with.

That being said, it’s incredibly sad the way the media sharks attack female celebrities in particular for even one tiny iota of a pound gained… I’d prefer to see more “normal” women in the media anyway. The too-thin ideal gets old.

posted on January 28th, 2009 at 5:04 pm

4 On January 28th, 2009, Rachel2 said:

^^^And that being said, I think that she actually looks hotter with some extra meat on her bones. Too bad that’s not the norm!

posted on January 28th, 2009 at 5:06 pm

5 On January 28th, 2009, Rachel said:

I’m glad you got what I meant, Rachel2. I was worried that people might misunderstand me. To clarify to anyone else… Jessica Simpson’s entire “career” is based on her looks. As with Jennifer Love Hewitt, if you invite the media to comment on your looks, you can’t really expect them to only do so when you look “good.” I don’t wish body-snarking on anyone, but as the saying goes, you can’t have your cake and eat it too.

posted on January 28th, 2009 at 5:08 pm

6 On January 28th, 2009, Twistie said:

Yeah, when your entire career is a media stunt, the stunts get more and more humiliating and obvious as time goes on.

posted on January 28th, 2009 at 5:28 pm

7 On January 28th, 2009, Fat to fit said:

It is kind of sad the fickle nature of fame and what some people will do for it. Give it a few months and it will not suprise me if she gets a nice 7 figure contract for a fitness DVD or something similar…Pass me the doughnuts.

Olly

posted on January 28th, 2009 at 5:48 pm

8 On January 28th, 2009, Bree said:

Entertainment Tonight, the classy bastion of journalism they are, are making this a top story tonight, with the question “Has she let herself go?” Well, in Hollyweird yeah, since anything over a size 4 is plus-size (stupid), but in Normal Town, size 8 (her reported new size) is still thin.

But those mom jeans she’s wearing are not flattering on anyone regardless of size. And while she has a tiny bit more talent than Britney Spears, her singing is definitely not pleasant to listen to, unless you like hearing people sound like they’re having their rectums pushed through their throats.

posted on January 28th, 2009 at 6:03 pm

9 On January 28th, 2009, littlem said:

“the only surefire way for an otherwise irrelevant and washed-up female celebrity to regain the limelight”

To me, that’s the worst part. I’ll bet the album is a steaming pile of doom.

posted on January 28th, 2009 at 8:56 pm

10 On January 28th, 2009, Rachel2 said:

Ha ha, Rachel… Of course her career, as with a lot of other “celebrijunks” is based solely on something aesthetic, rather than actual talent. If our nation and culture paid attention to actual talent, wit, and intelligence, I think that we’d have far less of a body problem than we do. To be fair to Jennifer Love Hewitt, I do like her. I think that she’s cute, talented, but unfortunately fell prey to this spiraling vortex of “Thin is In”. I would like to see her again with extra meat on her bones and live up to her smack-back at the entertainment industry.

Personally, I think that fame is way overrated, and the way that our culture has been dumbed-down because of it is ridiculous. Everybody’s got a teenybopper phase, but unfortunately, it seems that the masses have yet to grow out of it. They still pay attention to, and buy Entertainment Weekly, People, US, etc. I know that the fault is in part, due to the industry’s continual force-feeding of the issue (no pun intended, ha), but we, as a whole, are also at fault for not absolutely rebelling against this pathetic excuse for a time-waster industry. I refuse, unless I see something REALLY good (I’ve got a weakness for Angelina Jolie, but I do completely and utterly respect her ambassador efforts across the world, and it’s getting harder and harder these days to shark on her.)

Bree, your comment cracked me up! I agree about both the jeans and her talent, or lack thereof. I never could understand why Britney Spears OR Jessica Simpson made it… Christina Aguilera, sure. She’s got an amazing voice and personality. But, as we’re observing here, amazing talent and personality don’t earn ratings… or, in turn, cash.

posted on January 28th, 2009 at 9:03 pm

11 On January 28th, 2009, Becky said:

Ehh, I don’t buy it. Her weight has always fluctuated between how she looks now and acceptably thin for a starlet. I suspect this is her natural weight and she has a great deal of difficulty maintaining the lower weight.

posted on January 28th, 2009 at 9:27 pm

12 On January 28th, 2009, Rachel said:

but in Normal Town, size 8 (her reported new size) is still thin.

Normal Town, otherwise known as reality!

posted on January 28th, 2009 at 9:56 pm

13 On January 29th, 2009, Jackie said:

I think what is sad here, is the media taking someone like Jessica Simpson, allowing them into the world of celebrity purely just on the basis they look hot. Then beats up on them, if they don’t maintain total hotness from that point on. I think I’d like to see the media only hire people based on talent, rather than hire attractive women only to demean them and objectify them.

I guess that’s kind of a “When pigs fly” sort of thing to wish for, though.

posted on January 29th, 2009 at 1:23 am

14 On January 29th, 2009, Viv said:

Hate to say this, Rachel but unfortunately a size 8 is considered fat by some in the real world. I used to frequent a fitness board for women and some of them acted like an 8 was obese. It’s 2, 4 or die trying. One woman who was a personal trainer encouraged a woman to shoot for a super low weight even though the poster herself stated that she couldn’t maintain it. “It’s all mental you know”.
The weird thing is that these women weren’t athletes or models or even fitness/figure competitors.

posted on January 29th, 2009 at 9:56 am

15 On January 30th, 2009, Alyssa said:

“Normal Town, otherwise known as Reality.”
Too funny! (And true!)

Keep in mind, though, that celebrities, particularly women (with the HUGE pressure to look a certain way), are not the most emotionally secure, confident people. ESPECIALLY in cases like Jessica Simpson, who started out as a kid and been manipulated not only be her handlers, but by her own father ever since. It’s pretty much impossible to grow up in any way resembling normal when you are a commodity and your family’s meal ticket.
(Having spent a number of years in Hollyweird, I can tell you that the snarking in the press is only an extension of what women deal with every day.)

posted on January 30th, 2009 at 4:36 pm

16 On February 4th, 2009, coffee said: