The pressure on women to look a certain way is overwhelming. The onus of responsibility lies largely with social media, and so lockdown, when we had little else to do than scroll aimlessly through a feed of unattainable and unrealistic images of perfect bodies, was surely problematic. There are some celebrities who have been championing the female body and opening up about their own experiences with weight gain over the past few months, though. Here's everyone who has said something worth listening to…
SEE: 23 best home workouts to make you look and feel your best
Chrissy Teigen
Chrissy Teigen opened up about her weight gain to fans in her weekly newsletter, and while she admitted she wasn't feeling great mentally, she has no qualms with her physical appearance. "I have hit the double digit mark on quarantine weight gain so that's fun!," she wrote. "I don't mind it but definitely starting to feel a little sloth-like in the energy department, so maybe expect some lighter cravings coming soon. Aside from that, it's been a week filled with shaking trees on Animal Crossing, and realising you can eat honey roasted nuts not on an airplane. My new vice. This is not an ad. I just really f*cking love honey roasted nuts."
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Olivia Bowen
Love Island star Olivia Bowen offered a refreshing perspective on lockdown weight gain when she shared a hilarious video of herself struggling to fit into her jeans. She captioned the post, "Lockdown done me dirty," because yes, there really is more to life (and lockdown) than achieving a certain body shape.
Jameela Jamil
Actress Jameela Jamil urges her followers to scrap the scales and focus on what's really important in life. She posted a candid photo of herself and her cellulite with the caption, "Lot of DMs about body image s**t. Lots of toxic influencers showing airbrushed photos and perpetuating weight loss rhetoric, as well as freaking people out about their weight gain from no exercise and dietary changes. Listen, just try to love your body for what it does, not for how it looks. Loving how it looks is too hard for someone who need to unlearn all their self-hatred. Think of it as an amazing machine if you can. Even if it doesn’t work in all the ways you wish it would. Love what it can do. And know even thin actresses are covered in lumps and bumps and stretch marks. You just forget that because of bulls**t airbrushing. Don’t worry about losing weight right now in this moment. Just survive."
Steph McGovern
Channel 4 TV host Steph McGovern admitted to having gained weight on Twitter. She made a case for the small wins and wrote, "After gaining at least a stone in weight during lockdown (after not correctly shielding myself from the biscuit tin and crisp drawer) I have decided today is the day to do something about it. I'm going to wash my gym gear #itisastart." Because honestly, even celebrities don’t have the energy to exercise, work, cook, clean (and the rest) every day.
Kelly Brook
Model Kelly Brook rises above the noise that tells us more weight is bad and less weight is good. She recently told New! Magazine, "I'm a real foodie and enjoy cooking. I wasn't surprised at all to see my weight creep up a little over the last few weeks. I've gained a few pounds but I'm not worried. Diets shouldn’t be about deprivation – they need to be sustainable after all."
Shirley Ballas
Strictly's Shirley Ballas recently revealed she has gained 20lbs during the lockdown period. Now, the dancer is hoping to lose weight ahead of returning to screens with the new series of Strictly Come Dancing, but affirms that she embraces her weight gain since it came from enjoying living with boyfriend Danny Taylor for the first time. She told the Sun, "I just ate everything. My neighbour would make a coffee cake and I would eat the whole thing."
WATCH: Simon Cowell discusses lockdown and weight loss
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