Kirsten Dunst, a celebrated actress, has offered a refreshing perspective on weight, body image, and the pressures of Hollywood. Instead of conforming to the often unrealistic standards, Dunst has consistently prioritized her well-being and career over adhering to fleeting trends.
Dunst's Stance on Anti-Aging Trends
Dunst has openly expressed her aversion to anti-aging trends, particularly those involving cosmetic procedures. At 41, after starring in The Power of the Dog in 2021, she took a break from acting after she was offered only “sad mom” roles. She stated, “I’m not gonna screw up my face and look like a freak. You know what I mean? I’d rather get old and do good roles.” She acknowledges the pressures to maintain a youthful appearance but remains steadfast in her decision to age naturally.
Resisting Early Career Pressures
Dunst's non-conformist tendencies go way back. Early in her career, she faced pressure to alter her appearance. When she starred in Spider-Man, a producer took her to the dentist without warning and suggested she get some cosmetic work done. “I was like, ‘No, I like my teeth,’” she recalled to British GQ. Then, on the red carpet, she was asked to wear lighter colors and appear less “goth.” “I was never that girl. I never did it,” she said. She resisted suggestions to straighten her teeth or adopt a more conventionally "innocent" look. She stood her ground, embracing her natural features and personal style.
Body Image and Role Choices
Dunst's views on body image also influenced her role choices. She recounted an experience during the filming of "The Beguiled," where director Sofia Coppola initially suggested she lose weight to play a teacher at a Civil War girls’ school. Dunst, then 35, resisted, citing her dislike for working out and the tempting availability of fried chicken and McDonald’s on location. “It’s so much harder when you’re 35 and hate working out,” Dunst said of her understandable resistance to do so, adding that the film’s location was the perfect excuse. “I’m eating fried chicken and McDonald’s before work. So I’m like, ‘We have no options! I’m sorry I can’t lose weight for this role.’” This anecdote highlights her willingness to prioritize her well-being and enjoyment of life over strict adherence to weight standards for a role. The Coppola-Dunst screen team has historically been committed to flouting patriarchal beauty expectations. When she was cast in The Virgin Suicides as a teen, Dunst was told by her then-27-year-old director that she should never fix her crooked teeth. Over the ensuing years, the actress who played France’s most sugar-addicted queen has actually been pretty blessed when it comes to career diets, with her preparation for Fargo consisting of sitting in bed eating grilled cheese and take-out Thai.
Embracing Individuality in the Age of Social Media
Dunst also commented on the pressures faced by younger generations growing up in the age of social media. “I feel great. And they’re so worried about their brand, right?” she said. “It’s so weird. Even filtering your face and all that stuff.” She expresses concern over the constant comparison and self-consciousness fostered by social media, emphasizing the importance of staying true to oneself. She continued: “I don’t know. Everyone’s got to put their own opinion on you. That’s not really up to me to figure out or care about. Most people are projecting something. I have always pretty much been myself and I think that’s maybe confusing people because I can’t fake it.”
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Celebrity Weight Loss Journeys: A Broader Perspective
Dunst's perspective aligns with a growing trend among celebrities who are speaking out against unrealistic body standards and promoting body positivity. Many entertainers have inspired people around the world with their weight loss journeys. Here are a variety of celebrity weight loss journeys, showcasing different approaches and perspectives:
- Carnie Wilson: The music star revealed that she's been slimming down in recent months and shared how she was doing it. "Another before and 'during' … my health journey! This is 40 pounds down," she captioned these photos she shared on Instagram, adding, "I feel really different. I need to start exercising more to make the scale start to move again, but I'm so proud and pumped. Knowing that I did this PURELY through diet - no gluten or sugar, no butter and keeping fats down too." The WIlson Phillips singer, whose father is Beach Boys legend Brian WIlson, further explained, "Lately I have indulged in cheese and nuts which have more fat. If I chose not to eat corn tortillas, nuts and cheese - there's no way I could keep this up. I have totally adjusted my eating habits to satisfy my cravings but in a realistic way. And it's a miracle.
- Jesse Plemons: The "Power of the Dog" actor started slimming down in 2022. "I got asked to do a scene in this movie and I was playing a soldier, and I was like, 'I don't know many soldiers that are my size.' So like everyone else, I started doing intermittent fasting, cut carbs, all that stuff. It's easy if you just actually do it," he said in Interview magazine in late 2022 after beginning his slim-down journey, adding, "I feel better. Blood pressure's down.
- Ricki Lake: The actress and former talk show host has been open about her weight struggles and revealed losing 30 pounds in four months without medication in February 2024. The "Hairspray" star - seen here in September 2023 - took to Instagram, explaining, "On October 26th, 2023 I made a commitment to myself to get healthier. My husband, Ross [Burningham] joined me in this effort. Together we have each lost 30+ lbs. I really want to share, because we did this without relying on a pharmaceutical. In a Feb. 24, 2024, Instagram post that included this photo, Ricki Lake explained, "Being 55 and in perimenopause, I was a bit worried that my body would not drop the lbs like it had in the past." But her hard work paid off after dropping from about 170 pounds to 140 pounds - husband Ross Burningham also dropped about 30 pounds - "I am so so proud of us," Ricki wrote on Instagram."I feel amazing. I feel strong.
- Oprah Winfrey: Oprah has struggled with her weight for decades, publicly starting Weight Watchers in late 2015. After a 2021 knee surgery inspired new fitness goals, she achieved them. "I could eventually hike three to five miles every day and a 10-mile straight-up hike on weekends," she shared. "I felt stronger, more fit and more alive than I'd felt in years." She also revamped her diet (again): "I eat my last meal at 4 o'clock, drink a gallon of water a day and use the Weight Watchers principles of counting points. I had an awareness of [weight-loss] medications, but felt I had to prove I had the willpower to do it. I now no longer feel that way." In July 2023, she changed her mind during a panel conversation with weight loss experts and clinicians. "I had the biggest aha [moment] along with many people in that audience. I realized I'd been blaming myself all these years for being overweight, and I have a predisposition that no amount of willpower is going to control," the Oscar nominee said, adding, "Obesity is a disease. It's not about willpower - it's about the brain." Oprah - seen here in December 2023 at the premiere of the movie musical version of "The Color Purple" - then "released my own shame about it," talked to her doctor and got a weight loss medication prescription. "I now use it as I feel I need it, as a tool to manage not yo-yoing," she said, though she declined to name the drug. "The fact that there's a medically approved prescription for managing weight and staying healthier, in my lifetime, feels like relief, like redemption, like a gift, and not something to hide behind and once again be ridiculed for. I'm absolutely done with the shaming from other people and particularly myself."
- Elle King: The singer opened up about her health journey, revealing how she slimmed down and found strength after struggling at 284 pounds while pregnant. "Almost 2 years postpartum ! I am making this post to share my journey from 284 lbs at 5'3 from pregnancy 2021 - now 2023. It doesn't happen over night. It didn't even happen in a year for me. In fact, it's an on going still working towards ever changing goals kinda thing," she began her lengthy post. "So why am I sharing this? I fell into a very deep depression during my pregnancy. I also didn't even realize how intense postpartum depression is and was until I very slowly began to crawl out. I felt trapped in my body. I couldn't even sing. So I started slow. Metabolic workouts. Light cardio to warm up my body, my lungs, my voice, and my spirit. "Ex's & Oh's" singer Elle King revealed on Instagram in August 2023 - the same month she's seen here - that after she began to change her habits following the birth of her first child in 2021, "Every few weeks I feel my body getting stronger. But if you don't have one of those then YOU have to be your own champion. Find music you like! Ride a bike! Go for a swim!" she shared alongside a video showing how she fits in workouts while touring."I thought I wanted to lose weight, but it's so much more. My BRAIN functions better on the days I move my body," she explained. "Some days I count stretch marks. Some days I hug myself and say thank you to my body. Today is a kind day. I've been tiny, I've been huge, BUT RIGHT NOW IM HEALTHY." She also preemptively shot down any claims she's using meds to slim down. "I can't believe that I even have to say this, but no, I am not on any weight loss medication," she wrote. "I have PCOS and am pre-diabetic. My diabetic grandfather died when I was 10 years old. I watched him prick his finger and give himself shots. I do not judge anyone who is trying to live a healthier life. I can only share MY OWN JOURNEY!
- Post Malone: The music star lost a significant amount of weight, addressing his slimdown by saying, "I was like 240 and now I'm like 185." An unhealthy lifestyle, including sugary drinks, led to his weight gain. Post Malone first addressed his slimmed-down appearance in an April 2023 Instagram post in which he told fans he started to take his health more seriously after welcoming his first child in May 2022."I wanted to say that I'm not doing drugs, I've had a lot of people ask me about my weight loss and I'd suppose, performance on stage. I'm having a lot of fun performing, and have never felt healthier," he wrote.
- Lainey Wilson: The country music singer has noticeably slimmed down, clarifying that she didn't use weight-loss gummies. "I am sure some of you have seen some ads about me losing weight and being hospitalized and taking some weight loss gummies and blah, blah, blah, to save my life - well, surprise, it ain't true," she said in an Instagram video in June 2023. "People will do whatever to make a dollar even if it is lies because ain't nobody sent me any gummies. If I have lost weight, it's because I am working hard playing hour-and-a-half shows and running around every night of my life." The "Yellowstone" actress continued, "To be honest, me losing weight or gaining weight ain't got anything to do with my music. I love y'all, but I don't want you spending your money on something that ain't real - don't fall for it. But I tell you what, it would be real nice if they made some gummies that made your a** tell the truth!" That said, Lainey has toned and tightened up some things - and shed some pounds - in recent years. In an August 2023 interview with country music radio show "Big D & Bubba," singer and "Yellowstone" actress Lainey Wilson cleared up rumors about how much weight she's really lost, shooting down widespread reports that she shed 70 pounds."Hell no! No, and I hope you know those [ads for weight-loss] gummies are fake. Y'all, I literally had family members believe that I was taking these gummies and they were like, 'Does it work?'" However, she confirmed, "I have lost weight - I probably lost about 20 pounds."
- Billy Gardell: The actor weighed over 370 pounds at his heaviest. "I float between 205 [pounds] and 210 [pounds now]" after losing more than 150 pounds, "Mike & Molly" and "Bob Hearts Abishola" star Billy Gardell (pictured here in March 2023) told "Entertainment Tonight" in April 2023. "Self-care is important, and I think I finally got there … I think you got to find peace with yourself and at some point, look in the mirror and go, 'You know, it's probably time to take care of you.' And I didn't get that note early on. But I'm a big believer that when you get it, you get it. It doesn't matter what it is, as long as you get it." Setting an example for his son was also a motivating factor for Billy. "When you hit 50, you start doing that dad math, like, 'If I can live 25 more years, and he'll be 40' … You know what I mean? So I want to be here for him," he told "ET." "I've been an example in a lot of good ways for my child, but I feel like I wasn't a good example of health for him. And so I want him to see that. Billy Gardell told "Entertainment Tonight" that since losing more than 150 pounds, his resting heart rate has dropped from 113 to 68. He also no longer suffers from type 2 diabetes. "No more diabetes, no more bad blood numbers," Billy said.
- Christopher Schwarzenegger: The youngest son of Arnold Schwarzenegger, showed off a slimmed-down physique after dedicating himself to boxing, weightlifting, stretching, and cycling classes.
- Sharon Osbourne: She opened up about using an injectable weight-loss drug, though she didn't specify which one she took. "I took it for four months and I lost 30 pounds, but like everything, there's always no quick recipe. I was very sick for a couple of months. The first couple of months, I just felt nauseous," Sharon - seen here at an Oscar party in March 2023 - explained. "Every day I felt nauseous, my stomach was upset, whatever. But listen, I took it for four months, I lost 30 pounds. I've just shoved two chips in my mouth, while we had the break, and I eat normally now, and I haven't put on a pound.
- David Harbour: He underwent a physical transformation for "Stranger Things," slimming down significantly. "All told I lost over 75lbs. 265-270 in season 3 and all the way down to 190 when we shot." However, he added, he "recently ballooned up again to play jolly ole st. Nick in a flick I can't wait for you to see this [2022] holiday season, so I am struggling to fight back down towards a good weight for wherever hopper ends up in season 5.
- Eric Andre: For season 5 of his Adult Swim series, "The Eric Andre Show," comedian Eric Andrew gained 40 pounds. For season 6, he lost it and, as he told GQ in June 2023, "I got ripped and shredded up. Neither was fun. Getting fat, at first, is fun. I was eating pizza every night and peanut butter and je…
These examples illustrate the diverse approaches people take to weight loss and highlight the importance of finding a sustainable and healthy method that works for each individual.
Questionable Diet Trends
Weight loss is a topic filled with misinformation and fad diets. Here are some diets that are generally not recommended by experts:
- Baby Food Diet: This diet involves replacing meals with jars of baby food. It's restrictive and lacks essential nutrients. The scoop: The Baby Food Diet has been traced to celebrity trainer Tracy Anderson, who's since denied supporting it. Should you do it? Nope. The jars of baby food are 80 calories. Eat 14 and you end up with roughly 1,000 calories each day plus one real meal. So long as the meal you allow yourself is about 400 calories - think a small piece of grilled fish or lean meat and some sautéed veggies - you'll definitely lose weight.
- Cookie Diet: This diet involves eating special cookies instead of meals. It's not nutritionally balanced and can lead to deficiencies. The scoop: Snooki reportedly lost weight in 2010 with a diet of cookies. For three weeks, she ate six of the 90-calorie treats a day and one small meal. Alarmingly, the Cookie Diet is not Snooki's creation: Now-retired Dr. Should you do it? Probably not. Cookie Diet cookies are no Girl Scout Samoas.
- Chia Seed Diet: While chia seeds have some health benefits, they're not a miracle weight-loss food. The scoop: A handful of celebrities, including singer Taylor Swift, have chalked up their recent weight loss to the "miracle" food chia seeds. Should you do it? Maybe. The seeds aren't completely useless: They're loaded with fiber, protein, and some key B vitamins. But as far as helping with weight loss goes, it's doubtful they'd have any special slimming power.
- M Diet: This diet claims to target weight loss in specific areas of the body, which is not scientifically possible. The scoop: Perry claims the M Diet helps her get lean only in select areas of her body, namely her waist, hips, and thighs. Should you do it? No. First, "there's no evidence that any diet … will help you lose weight in a particular spot," as registered dietitian Katherine Tallmadge told LiveScience. Plus, of course you'll cut calories by swapping a meal (about 700 calories) with a serving of raw veggies (about 21 calories for a cup).
- Coconut Oil Diet: Coconut oil is high in saturated fat and doesn't offer any special weight-loss benefits compared to other oils. The scoop: Coconut oil (CO) is roughly identical to olive oil (OO) in terms of its overall calorie and fat content. Kerr cooks with it, adds it to salads, and uses it as a moisturizer. Should you do it? No. As opposed to a tablespoon of OO, which has just 1 gram of saturated fat and more than 10 grams of healthy mono or poly unsaturated fats, a tablespoon of CO has a whopping 12 grams of saturated fat and roughly 1 gram of healthy fat.
- Alkaline Diet: The diet is based on the misleading idea that you can change your body's pH levels with food. While your stomach's pH is acidic (it's filled with acid to help with digestion), your blood is slightly alkaline. Should you do it? Nope. The diet is based on the misleading idea that you can change your body's pH levels with food. While your stomach's pH is acidic (it's filled with acid to help with digestion), your blood is slightly alkaline.
- Color Diet: This diet involves eating foods of only one color each day. While it might encourage trying new foods, it's unnecessarily restrictive. The scoop: Aguilera reportedly went on the seven-day Color Diet at one point, eating foods of one color each day. Should you do it? Sure, but don't limit yourself. Different-colored foods often provide different nutrients, so the temporary plan might help encourage you to try new things that you might otherwise ignore, like purple yams, deep-red strawberries, and dark-green kale.
Common Sense Approaches to Dieting
Here are some approaches to dieting that are considered more reasonable.
- Vegetarian Diet: As opposed to some of the other diets. This is a reasonable approach, although you should: Just be sure to replace meat and dairy with foods that have a similar nutritional profile (like tofu, beans, and dark, leafy greens) to ward off deficiencies in some key nutrients, including calcium, iron, protein and Vitamin B-12.
- Apple Cider Vinegar: Go for it, but not as a cleanse. So long as it's consumed in safe amounts (no more than a few tablespoons diluted in water a day), ACV hasn't been linked with any severe health problems.
- The 4-3-2-1 Diet: It's worth a shot. The plan, more of a lifestyle and less of a temporary "fix-it" diet, is based around the idea that each of your meals contains one of each of four main food groups: protein, complex carbs, fiber, and healthy fat. The fifth group is sugar-free drinks, which strikes us as odd but shouldn't do any harm.
The Marie Antoinette Diet: Eat Cake and Still Lose Weight
You may recall Marie Antoinette from your history class as being the Queen of France who was beheaded during the French Revolution, or you may know her best for Sofia Coppola’s exaggerated interpretation of the late Queen’s life in her 2006 film headlined by Kirsten Dunst as the titular role of Marie Antoinette. Often, when you think of the last Queen of France you imagine her opulent gowns, pompous wigs, and tables upon tables of colourful desserts. This was a queen who lived for excess, and yet, she was capable of maintaining a very slim waist 58cm (23in), for the majority of her life. Despite being known for devouring cakes and hot chocolate for breakfast. Karen Wheeler, author of the diet book, The Marie Antoinette Diet: Eat Cake and Still Lose Weight, let’s us in on a little secret. The queen was known for consuming most of her sweets first thing in the morning. Sugars, when consumed early in the morning, are more likely to be turned by the body into energy since we do most of our daily activities during the morning and early afternoon. Karen Wheeler also stresses the importance of a light dinner, and how we should aim for 12-hr. Although these claims may seem a bit off for some (especially for those who love to snack!). But it does make sense as to why this plan would actually work in losing weight or maintaining your ideal weight without having to actually diet (meaning cutting out the things we crave like carbs and sugars). But one thing that Wheeler stresses most of all, is always to eat food at its natural state meaning no over-processed junk food, trans-fats, or vegetable or polyunsaturated oil. Another helpful tip? So in conclusion, yes, you’re allowed to your cake and eat it took, but just know when to eat it and cut out all the other baddies. After all, we could all learn a beauty trick or two from one of history’s most fashionable monarch.
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