Singer JoJo has opened up aboutbeing told to lose weight when she was just 18 – and even more shocking is theway she was encouraged to lose the weight...
The star, who first shot to fameaged 13 when she released Leave (Get Out), revealed that she was told to weight by her record company.
JoJo opened up about her struggles in a new interview
"I just felt like, as a femaleartist, our bodies were up for debate," she said during na appearance onEntertainment Tonight.
"I thought men could just havetheir opinion and tell me what I was supposed to look like.
"So I was 18 and I was toldthat if I didn't look a certain way that they wouldn't put out my music. So, mymusic was already being dangled in front of me and they were already sayingthat, you know, things weren't gonna happen, so I was like, 'Oh, if this isgonna make my music come out, then okay'."
Luckily, the singer has been able to overcome her issues
She went on to reveal that she was encouragedto go on a 500-calorie-per-day diet and use injectable hormones to lose weight,specifically the 'hCG diet' (the FDA has declared this diet 'dangerous, fraudulentand illegal', just FYI).
"I was injecting myself withthis thing from this dietician that makes it so you're not hungry, and ittricks your body into thinking you're pregnant," she said.
"I wasn't even done growing,necessarily, but because I wanted my career to move forward and I was soscared, I did it.
"It messed with mepsychologically because I felt like, 'How can I maintain this?' after I got offof it. How could I enjoy food? And it just made me feel like, 'Am I not good enoughof a singer? Am I not special enough? Am I not pretty? It made me question allthat."
Luckily, JoJo said she waseventually able to overcome her issues with the help of her fans, and now she's stronger than ever - and she'smaking a comeback, releasing her new single F**k Apologies.