15 Celebs Who Have Struggled With Their Weight

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While many celebrities are naturally beautiful, they also have to put some effort into looking as good as they do during public appearances. Yes, they’re humans like the rest of us and go through their own struggles physically, including weight issues. And everyone knows that in the world of Hollywood, being the perfect weight is absolutely crucial. If you’re too skinny, you’re bulimic. If you’re overweight, you’re a binge eater. There’s just no escaping famous people’s most vicious critics.

Here are some celebrities who have struggled to maintain a normal and healthy weight throughout their careers.

Oprah Winfrey

Her weight has yo-yoed through the years, but Oprah Winfrey has always been open about her battle with the bulge. At her slimmest, she dropped to 160 pounds, but because of thyroid problems and poor eating habits, she gained back up to 200 pounds in a short span of time. Winfrey has said that she’s accepted the fact that she’ll never be stick thin and she’s fine with that. What’s important is she’s at a healthy, even if slightly heavy, weight.

Jessica Simpson

Jessica Simpson has always been curvy, her slimmest probably being the time she played Daisy Duke in the movie Dukes of Hazzard in 2005. But a few years later, she got a lot of flak for a photo that appeared in the media, showing her looking chubby and her pregnancy didn’t do much to help her overcome her weight struggles. But she has since slimmed down after having her second baby and now rocks a great body. A spokesperson for Weight Watchers, Simpson claims she’s just a regular girl who struggles with her weight just like the rest of the world.

Kelly Clarkson

The American Idol alum has always been a bit plump, but she was perhaps at her thinnest when she won the reality show contest back in 2002. Since then, she has put on a lot of weight, especially after giving birth to her baby. But Clarkson said she accepts that her weight will always fluctuate and that the key to maintaining it is through regular diet and exercise.

Christina Aguilera

When she first broke out into the music scene after her Mickey Mouse Club days, Christina Aguilera was stick-thin. And the pop star admits that even she found herself too skinny. Age and a baby made her put on some weight a few years later, this time getting criticized for being too heavy. She drastically slimmed down for the movie Burlesque and later dropped 20 pounds while promoting her single. She claims she loves her body and sees herself as healthy, despite what critics say.

Mariah Carey

Mariah Carey has always been a curvy woman, but she was able to stay slim and still retain her curves during her younger days. But as she got older and then got pregnant with twins, her body changed significantly. With a rigorous diet and exercise plan, Carey was able to drop 30 pounds and she admits she feels great, though she’s never really been able to shed it all completely.

Kirstie Alley

She’s probably the poster girl when it comes to celebrities who’ve struggled the most with weight. Kirstie Alley has gone from being obese to slim more often than any other celebrity. At her heaviest, she has tipped the scale at 230 pounds. She soon dropped 75 pounds with the help of a personal trainer, but gained it all back soon after. Then she joined Dancing With the Stars and the rigorous rehearsals enabled her to lose 100 pounds and drop to a size 6. But she later regained some of the weight. Alley has been quoted as saying she wishes that she can one day drop to a size zero.

Janet Jackson

Being part of the famous Jackson family can put a lot of pressure on a girl. Janet Jackson admitted that throughout her life, she has been an emotional eater to be able to cope with all her problems. This has resulted in her fluctuating weight, as seen through the years, her biggest weight gain being at 60 pounds. Jackson has gotten her act together and is now a spokeswoman for Nutrisystem, saying her experiences with weight is testament that the struggle can be overcome.

Jordin Sparks

Back when she won American Idol, Jordin Sparks was an adorable teenager with baby fat. But she’s always been big-boned, so even as she grew older, she retained that heavy-set frame. But Sparks has slimmed down recently and even posted a photo of herself on social media, wearing a bikini and just a minimal bulge on her tummy. Clearly, she’s on her way to getting some abs!

Nicole Richie

At 5’2,” Nicole Richie weighed as little as 90 pounds in 2006 and was considered dangerously thin even by Hollywood standards. She sought help so that she could put on some meat to be at a healthier weight. Even after two kids, Richie is still pretty skinny, attributing it to genes.

Ricki Lake

Thanks to being on Dancing With the Stars, TV host Ricki Lake has been able to shed off a good amount of unwanted pounds. The once-heavy host claimed that thanks to months of regular dance rehearsals for the reality show, where she was a contestant, she was able to lose 25 pounds. Lake said she didn’t mind not winning the contest on the show. She won herself a better, healthier body instead!

Giuliana Rancic

The entertainment TV show host has always been called out for being anorexic-thin, but Giuliana Rancic takes it all in stride because she knows she doesn’t have an eating disorder. She just really has a naturally fast metabolism. Rancic stated that she was hoping her weight would eventually catch up with her age. But apparently, it hasn’t!

Denise Richards

Sultry actress Denise Richards has been spotted recently looking a little too thin for anyone’s liking. When asked if she’s been skipping her meals, Richards said she just tries to eat healthy. But what most likely keeps her skinny is raising her two children by Charlie Sheen—plus his twins with his other ex-wife, Brooke Mueller.

Rachel Zoe

Lately, celebrity stylist Rachel Zoe has been criticized for looking like a skeleton, as she’s been photographed with her ribs protruding while donning a bikini. But Zoe insists that she has no eating disorder, saying she’s skinny because she gets the best exercise of all: chasing after and caring for her child all day long.

Britney Spears

During her “Hit Me Baby One More Time” days, Britney Spears was a cute teenager with an enviable athletic body. But as she grew older, she put on more and more weight until she looked to have gained a little too much weight during that phase when she had her very public meltdown. Spears says she has had to work double time to get back in shape and so far, she’s been looking good.

Tyra Banks

At 5’10,” Tyra Banks rocked her curves during the height of her career as a supermodel. But when she retired from modeling and became a talk show host, she gained a good 30 pounds and was at 161 pounds—which, at her height, isn’t too bad. But the media being the way they are, blasted her with negative comments when she was pictured in a bikini. Banks’ response? “Kiss my fat ass!”