Abby Lee Miller, the renowned head dance instructor from "Dance Moms," has been in the spotlight for years, not only for her choreography and teaching methods but also for her fluctuating weight and health struggles. Her weight loss journey has been marked by unconventional methods, medical interventions, and public scrutiny. This article delves into the various aspects of Miller's journey, from her initial weight loss attempts to her battle with cancer and subsequent health challenges.
Early Weight Loss Attempts and Public Scrutiny
Miller's weight has been a topic of discussion for many years. While choreographing her Lifetime show, she never let her size determine how intricate her routines were or how well she would teach them to her dance students. However, Miller says she has tried to lose weight before, but got no support from the "Dance Moms" production staff, noting "They would laugh in my face. They didn't care if I was trying to be vegan. They wouldn't get a special vegan meal or anything."
In an interview with People magazine, Miller revealed that she had gone from a size 24 to a size 16 without exercising, dieting, or surgery, which surprised her fans. Her methods included abstaining from eating while filming for Dance Moms in a hot dance studio and taking Australian-prescribed diabetes pills that made her vomit. People magazine described Miller’s dangerous journey as “unconventional” and quoted her as having a “long, long way to go” until she reaches her goal of “slimness” - when slimness shouldn’t be her goal at all.
These methods raised concerns about the potential health risks and the message it sent to young viewers, especially given Miller's leadership position with children. The lack of representation of different body types contributes to the pressure people feel to attain slimness, with Americans spending an average of $20 billion annually on diet books, weight-loss surgeries, and diet drugs. The magazine was criticized for glorifying her being a few pounds lighter instead.
Gastric Bypass Surgery and Subsequent Health Issues
In April 2017, Entertainment Tonight reported that Miller underwent gastric bypass surgery to further the weight loss journey that began in 2015. She had just quit Dance Moms and was committed to improving her health following a diabetes diagnosis. The former "Dance Moms" star had gastric sleeve surgery last week. The procedure reduced her stomach's size by 80 percent. Now, fans of the show are questioning why Miller had the surgery in the first place.
Read also: Comprehensive Abby House of Keto Analysis
A month after the surgery, Miller was found guilty of bankruptcy fraud and was sentenced to one year in prison. She is scheduled to be sentenced on fraud charges next month after pleading guilty to hiding her assets from federal authorities during a bankruptcy filing. "I think this is the right time," says Miller. "People are saying, but your sentencing is coming up in a couple of weeks and that is true. I'm really nervous about that more than the surgery, but there's no right time. By the time she was released eight months later, Miller had lost 100 pounds, according to Entertainment Tonight. She also thought she was no longer diabetic. She told PEOPLE NOW that her doctors in jail discontinued her diabetes medication cold turkey, making her believe she was cured from the disease.
However, Miller's health journey took a turn for the worse in April 2018 when she was rushed to the hospital with severe neck pain. She was released, but returned a few days later due to excruciating neck pain and weakness in her arm. Hooman M. Melamed, an orthopedic spine surgeon at Cedar Sinai Marina Del Rey Hospital who treated Miller, told Extra that in just two days, her condition had worsened. She was paralyzed from the neck down. She then underwent an eight-hour emergency surgery to treat what doctors thought was a spinal infection.
Cancer Diagnosis and Recovery
After the surgery, E! News reported that Miller was diagnosed with Burkitt Lymphoma, a rare but aggressive type of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Those that are diagnosed with Burkitt Lymphoma, according to the Lymphoma Research Foundation, have to start therapy immediately in order to stop it from spreading. Not only does this cancer affect the lymph nodes, it could also affect the jaw, central nervous system, bowl, kidneys, ovaries, and other organs.
Once diagnosed, Miller underwent 10 rounds of chemotherapy and months of rehabilitation, while using an electric chair to be mobile. In May 2019, Miller announced that she was cancer-free.
Miller also called out the doctors who had overlooked or ignored her pain before being diagnosed. "Why didn’t the ER Doctors on duty do their jobs?" she wrote in an Instagram post on April 17, 2019."I came in twice with the same symptoms? Why didn’t somebody listen to me, the patient?" In the same post, she told fans about having a second spine surgery after the initial one and that she'll be needing a third one.
Read also: Explore Abby Johnson's journey
Knee Replacement Surgery and Current Health Status
In June 2019, Miller went back to the operating room; this time for knee surgery. After putting it off for eight years, Miller had a total knee replacement, a surgery that could help her regain her ability to walk.
In one of her latest Instagram posts, the dance teacher revealed a 12-inch scar on her knee and advised her fans to “protect [their knees] with proper alignment and wear knee pads when learning floor work!”
Long-time fans of the hit show Dance Moms may notice quite a few changes when they tune into the new season. Dance Moms: Resurrection introduced a fresh crop of young dancers ready to earn their place on the top of the pyramid. But the most shocking development is that that the show's star Abby Lee Miller, is now confined to a wheelchair. The choreographer has been open on social media about her health struggles, including a recent battle with Burkitt Lymphoma. Sadly, Miller has experienced a series of medical issues from diabetes to knee replacements. She's even been left with scars from past surgeries.
Abby still has a long road ahead of her to recover completely, but the choreographer seems optimistic.
Ethical Considerations and Media Responsibility
Miller's weight loss journey highlights the ethical considerations that media outlets face when reporting on such personal stories. While it is important to inform the public about celebrities' lives, it is equally important to avoid promoting unhealthy or dangerous behaviors. In the case of Miller's initial weight loss, People magazine was criticized for not addressing the potential consequences of her unconventional methods and for focusing solely on the superficial aspect of weight loss.
Read also: Evidence-Based Galveston Diet
The writer of this piece had a responsibility to her audience and Abby Lee Miller that she neglected to fulfill when she was silent about the larger consequences of the way Miller lost weight. In order to boost magazine sales and readership of the article, the writer celebrated the fact that Abby Lee Miller lost weight, and did not mention that she was possibly experiencing an eating disorder or another form of illness. Though the choreographer did not call what she experienced an eating disorder, research suggests differently. Whether or not this article describes an eating disorder, it is certainly representative of our culture’s problematic diet culture.
The media should strive to present a balanced and responsible perspective on weight loss, emphasizing the importance of health and well-being over mere physical appearance. This is especially crucial when the subject is a public figure who may influence the attitudes and behaviors of young people.