I once wrote a post called “Can Everyone Stop Calling Nine-Months Pregnant Jessica Simpson ‘Fat’? Please?” I meant what I said back then, just as I mean it today. We need to stop calling people “fat” for the love of God. Just in general, we need to stop doing that as a society. We especially need to stop doing it when someone is A) pregnant, B) knowingly battling some kind of mental health issue, C) NOT EVEN FAT.
So, last week, Kanye West was photographed out and about with his family. Kanye has actually been popping up in public and getting pap’d more frequently over the past month or so, but I guess last week was the first time most people were paying attention, and it was mostly about Saint West being a little cutie. Once people saw Kanye out and about at the ice-skating rink, they were like “wow, Kanye seems a bit bigger.” Except that many of those people were actually saying that Kanye is “fat” now. Look at him. He’s not fat. Look at him! He’s gained, what? Like, maybe 20-25 pounds, if that. I also reject this notion that we should say he has a “dadbod” now.
I’m not sure if people realize this, but Kanye is a very healthy eater/fitness guy. He’s had a full-time chef for his family for a long time – the guy even worked for him when Kanye, Kim and the babies lived with Kris Jenner – and he also employed (and possibly still employs) a trainer. I’d be willing to bet that Yeezy is still in pretty good shape physically. Add to all of that… isn’t it more than possible that he’s gained a little weight because he’s being properly medicated now? Almost a year ago, Kanye had what I consider to be a nervous breakdown, and he has apparently been under better mental health care in the past year. He hasn’t given any crazy interviews, he hasn’t tweeted out a bunch of nonsense, and he’s been working quietly and spending time with his family. Let’s celebrate that instead of calling him “fat” okay?
Photos courtesy of Backgrid.
Incredibly well put! Thank you for this post.
I wholeheartedly agree.
While I agree on the fact we need to stop raking people about their body/shapes, c’mon here… almost EVERYONE in this site was ragging on Affleck for his “moobs” and “bloat”, and no one said “BOO!” about it. And FTR, I am NOT a fan of either man, but seriously, it should be one rule for ALL, or bin it; just because you may like one or the other shouldn’t set the rule. JMO ✌🏻
I know, right? Suddenly this gossip site is drawing a hard line… after tearing women’s looks to shreds consistently and regularly.
Yes, Affleck and Leo’s Dad Bod …. so I’m not giving him a pass. Nope.
I don’t like any one being picked on for their looks. All of us sometimes look well, and other times not. I am not the biggest fan of him, but agree, I find these comments about him unnecessary and offensive.
Hmmm…there is a huge movement to take back the word “fat” and I think it’s interesting to consider the opposing view.
This is a really fascinating essay written by Sarai Walker, author of Dietland. She was recently interviewed on The Daily and I found her comments to be really thought-provoking.
https://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/07/opinion/sunday/yes-im-fat-its-ok-i-said-it.html
In Mexico they call people Gorda or flaca as a term of endearment. One means fat the other means skinny. It is just a descriptor, not like one is healthy other is not, or one is beautiful other is not. In the US however it is obviously different. I don’t think Gorda is a dirty word anymore than fat is, or that we rag on people for being skinny, it is just…descriptors. Maybe that has changed with us influence though.
When I met some Greek orthodox monks, those guys had heavy paunches, but they could climb mountains and hike for hours. I guess I don’t get this us attitude that fat is always bad or ugly or loving someone fat promotes obesity?
Exactly. The focus is so much on how fat is “bad” and unhealthy–the term itself is a pejorative one. The author of the article I posted explains how fat activists are reclaiming the word and using it to destigmatize fat bodies.
I think this relates to your last paragraph: “At the heart of this debate over obesity is a professed concern for health, as if the dignity of any group should be contingent on whether its members are deemed healthy. But issues of health are not so clear cut, and the Health at Every Size movement offers a legitimate critique of narrowly focused weight-based approaches to health.”
Agreed 1000000%. Plus, I find him very attractive like this, and I haven’t before.
Beautiful article! I know it’s a strange adjective to say, but I just find it beautiful 🙂
Physically, he’s my type. Shallow I know.
I agree, beautiful article. Kanye always been handsome anyway.
He has a naturally round face and being a bit fuller makes him look more proportional. It’s a good look on him (though I am not and have never been a fan).
You agree 1000000% that people shouldn’t fat shame Kanye, but over on the Heidi Klum post you said her ex was “ugly, that’s all.” So because you find Kanye west good looking people should be nice to him, but it doesn’t work the other way?
I would not call him fat but I am generally suprised people would find him attractive before or after. I thought about this and maybe I let what I know of his personality influence my opinion.
Fat with a PH! Corny joke aside, that’s what I would always say when someone would call me fat.
Kanye seems like he is in a much better place mentally. Good for him.
Picking over other people’s bodies is bad enough, but doing it when they’re recovering from a breakdown is just awful.
I fully agree!
I was just going to say the same. 100% agree.
Yup. He looks like he’s in a better state of mind which is the most important thing for his kids and him
Medications used to treat mental illness are well known to cause weight gain so makes sense.
Exactly. It just seems extra cruel. Picking on someone who is suffering from mental illness is low, and that person needs to do self-examination about their capacity for empathy.
He looks good, but he needs to stop doing the thing my dad does with his sweats and socks.
We have a super rural area about 30 minutes from us – Kemptville. If we did that as kids mom would be all “Fix your socks, you look like a Kempter” which was her version of hillbilly I suppose. Hilariously, my husbands family had a camp out in Kempt and I’ve totally seen photos of him as a child with his pants like that.
Ahah that’s awesome, I love this story. Strangely, I have a friend who left Kemptville and i will be teasing her about this town style choice today for sure.
For my dead and maybe Ye, this is a, I want to sit by the campfire, but don’t want to put on real pants. I need to take the dog out and my ankles are cold no effs outfit.
More than anything this makes me think he’s getting better, because it’s for him you know? It’s not a presentation.
Lol I guess we all need to be a little Kempter sometimes.
If you mean inside the shoes and socks – that’s to protect against ticks. You don’t want to provide any opening for them. Really, it’s recommended especially today with Lyme disease carried by ticks. But they can carry other diseases also. City people might be adopting the style now, but the original reason is protective.
ahaha- yes, detritus, I think when it comes to Kanye it might not be a bad thing.
jwoolman – I get the tick thing. We have a ton of wooded area. We have to be really careful with the dog because she’s a pointer and has ‘ticking’ markings – the buggers can blend in sometimes. I actually had one on my leg a couple of weeks ago and freaked out – they gross me out. But I didn’t have any reaction from it – I think I caught it within the first couple of moments that it was on my leg. It was surprisingly the only one I found on myself this year. Lots of deer ticks around. They generally need to be attached for at least 24 hours to transfer the bacteria – it can take up to 36-48 hours – and I’m someone who checks immediately after coming inside because they freak me out so much. It’s definitely easy to miss the small ones though. I think it probably helps that I grew up always aware of them being a big issue – I don’t live in a busy city or somewhere like that. Even when I was living ‘in town’ it was still pretty rural – deer walking through the streets and all that.
I’m willing to slide the socks and sweatpants because his waistband is always where it should be. He doesn’t perpetuate the dropped trou fad, thankfully.
That’s not a great look, but it’s not as bad as Kim wearing stiletto heel, laced up, ugly boots with her sweatpants everyday
👏👍
How about we say he’s recovering.
He’s in recovery and at times that means weight gain from meds. Yes let’s stop criticizing because at times weight gain is why people go off their meds. He’s getting healthy mentally that’s enough to celebrate
Yes, exactly.
We saw a boy this weekend at a school football game, who we haven’t seen in a while. He’d clearly gained weight. I know his mom, she’s confided in me about his mental health issues. My first thought was that he must be taking meds and I hope that means he’s doing better. The fact that he was out at a football game was a good sign, I guess. I hate to think that his peers might be picking on him because of the weight gain.
Yes thank you! I’m on an anxiety med that has made me gain weight over the last year. I’m trying to wean off of it now and onto one that isn’t supposed to be as bad for gaining weight but it sucks when you do exersize and eat right and you don’t see any progress.
^^^This.
I’ve been on medication for almost 13 years for depression and anxiety. Serious stuff for about 9 years when I got into college and started taking my mental health extremely seriously.
I’m lucky my good friends understand and have been extremely supportive of me and my battle with mental issues as well as weight and are always in my corner. I can’t imagine fighting this battle as a public figure, but I’m glad he is. I think it’s opened up the eyes of some of Kanye’s fans that mental illness can hit anyone, it knows no boundaries. I just hope he can shrug off the criticisms and continue to get healthy and stay there.
Yea its hard. I’m lucky I don’t have to take meds regularly for my problems but I see it in clients all the time. The side effects are undesirable and so they go right off them. It sets them back. Kanye is getting healthy that’s all that matters
Yes, certain meds really interfere with metabolism. Lithium salts for depression were notorious for interfering with carbohydrate metabolism in particular. You don’t actually have to be eating more. The body’s decisions about storage can be altered. Hence weight gain and loss are not always as simple as balancing calories in with calories out. Body chemistry can be much more complicated than that. Appetite can also be affected in either direction, however.
Same. I was taking Sertraline before I got pregnant and gained 10lbs overnight. I was exercising and moving around to burn between 900-1000 calories per day (measured on an Apple Watch), cut back on drinking, and eating as healthy as I could. I still just looked thicker and bloated no matter what I did. I loved feeling better but hated the way they made me look.
The first thing I thought is that he’s likely been steadily on his meds. Kanye looks happy and relaxed, and that’s a great thing for him and his family.
I have mutual friends with a well-known author who is bipolar. He frequently tries to avoid his meds because he feels it negatively affects his creativity. And that comes as a big cost to himself, his family and friends, and his professional stability.
That is so common unfortunately. A lot of the great minds tend to suffer from bipolar disorder. And it feels like it stifles creativity because the meds can be numbing. Its sad
yep! My sister in law is bipolar and had received new medication that resulted in a 20 pound weight gain- but also in a much improved mental state. Unfortunately she could not stand being fatter than a supermodel- looks are vital to her. Then her mom kept telling her how fat she was (which she wasn’t – she was zaftig and gorgeous, and her kids reassured her constantly she was beautiful) and the mom went and bought her tons of meal replacement shakes and would hide candy from her in her own house. She went off the meds, lost the weight but also her new healthier state of mind. It’s been a constant battle again with frequent hospitalization for suicidal depression ever since. It is the saddest thing to me.
I put on 30 pounds / 15 kgs in the space of 4 months on paxil. The weight gain is totally unnatural.
Agree x 100. Stop calling people fat. Also, disliking someone’s public persona is not a liscence to make snarky comments about their bodies. I don’t care who it is and how much you dislike them or for whatever reason. Fat shaming is not ok.
Same goes for slut shaming.
A little bit of bitchy gossip is one thing, but this shit has real impact – not just on your subject/victim, but in other people reading and watching.
There’s only ONE person I call fat and make snarky comments about his looks partially because I HATE his public persona. Trump. I’m not the only one who does it. I would never call anyone else fat or body shame anyone else.
Kanye honestly has the shape and size of any regular man, and I see no reason why anyone should think he’s fat
Completely understandable Beth, but while reading your statement it occurred to me that fat was one of the few adjectives I don’t associate with Two scoops. There are so many other apt words to describe him, his physical appearance doesn’t even enter my brain. I just realized that.
@ Lady D: Two Scoops — love it! Almost as much as my new fave, U Bum.
I don’t like Trump, either. My mom started calling him fat because she detests him and it made me feel like crap because I am one of those who has gained weight on medication. When people call out other people for a condition you are also in and battling desperately, you just feel bad about yourself. Just a thought.
I didn’t even know calling Kanye fat had become a thing. I need to waste more time on the internet.
Same. I took a mini hiatus and I’m amazed at what’s trendy after coming back smh
This article is the first I’ve heard of a weight problem too, but then my exposure to the K-klan is limited to this site.
Agreed with this post. I don’t like him at all, I very rarely ever click on anything within that realm, but the mean headlines have been pretty disgusting.
I’ll say it here like I said on a Facebook post the page owner removed: when people do this to women, we come out with pitchforks raised. Men should be no different. Bodies are not made of stone and we change with time, stress, life difficulties.
No body deserves to be the brunt of body jokes ever. It’s never ok.
I hope we can have the same empathy since we don’t know what they are dealing with.
Everyone in the world should read Wentworth Miller’s FB post about being called fat, when in fact he was deeply depressed and suicidal.
We just don’t know what’s going on in a person’s life.
This is the first thing that came to my mind. He was finally reaching an OK place and when he saw the pic in question, he saw himself smiling and being active with a friend instead of hiding alone in the dark. The internet decided to make it a Fat Guy meme. Would we prefer people to self-medicate with booze or drugs? Food can be a comfort when you’re in a bad place – or rather, allowing yourself some freedom in terms of eating and exercising can be.
Same. I think I might’ve been the only one on that Saint West post last week who remarked that Ye looked happy and relaxed and I was thrilled for his family. That Wentworth Miller post was devastating. In a good way.
“when in fact he was deeply depressed and suicidal. We just don’t know what’s going on in a person’s life. ”
RIP Robin Williams. It still hurts.
Lots of people have weight change while recovering from tough things like his breakdown. He doesn’t look fat at all to me, but he’s short, so any weight gain would be more noticeable. I’ve always thought he was pretty cute
Agree it’s his medication!
my theory is, he had that breakdown a while ago and he probably is on some kind of anti-psychotic or antidepressant drug now, which makes you gain weight. trust me, I know, because I take those myself. still not fat though. just a normal guy who gained some weight. why are we not allowed to acknowledge that he is slightly bigger?
He has admitted to taking meds for his mental health. And yes some pugs in weight on them like you said. That’s different from calling him fat or mocking his body.
ITA with your comment, Tekla. His weight-gain is obvious, so why not acknowledge it? It’s a common side-effect of taking meds for mental health. I worked for a psychiatrist until last year, and many patients complained about gaining weight (and about feeling numb). Several of the patients – especially those suffering from borderline personality disorder and schizophrenia – did not take their meds regularly because of the side-effects (and because the meds made them feel better and they assumed they could manage without them).
IMO it’s important to not only mention that Kayne is doing better but – if the reason for this are meds – to acknowledge the side-effects.
I love you for this post, Kaiser. Mental illness awareness!
I just thought he was dressing worse than normal. Sweatpants and sweatshirts do not generally create a sexy bod look. That aside, who cares if he gained weight? Does it affect anyone else’s life? No? Then piss off.
He’s soon to be the father of 3. Might not be concerned about a sexy bod look. Also look at his fashion “designs.” Just not his thing.
Deal. But can we also stop making fun of Leonardo Dicaprio’s body too? Making fun of his dad bod and dad boobs is still shaming and shameful behaviour. Just because we all like Kanye and but don’t like Leonardo shouldn’t mean we get to pick and choose who to fat shame.
i don’t see the need to judge people on their appearance, whether they are fat, skinny, or whatever. Who the hell cares how others look. See a lot of people on the Heidi Klum post talking about how ugly her ex is, I feel like if it was a man with an “ugly” girl, everyone would be freaking about calling someone ugly.
Thanks, well said. I have a relative who will need to be on medication every day of his life and the weight gain is a problem. Let’s hope that psychoactive medications become more effective and have fewer troubling side effects.
Kanye looks fine. A lot of people gain even more weight and mental illness saps their ability to exercise regularly.
People acquaint ANY weight gain with being “fat” (see: Rihanna). So stupid.
At least he doesn’t have to deal with pregnancy speculation.
I am so not a Kanye fan but i’m so on board with this.
In high school I was underweight but looked great. But I also had some mental issues. It wasn’t until college where I started getting proper treatment for my anxiety and depression. I gained over 50 lbs mostly due to medication. Weight is going to be a lifetime issue for me, but I wouldn’t trade my mental health for my old body. I give serious kudos to Kanye and his team for getting him the help he needed.
Since when is being called thick bad? I’ve only ever heard it being said as a compliment as in the weight looks good on you.
Fat and “dad bod” I can see as insulting but thick?
This weekend while leaving a concert a guy looked me up and down and said “you’re thick girl, thick”. I didn’t take it in a bad way. I took it as a compliment, and then I ate a gyro because seriously I’m not here to please anyone anyway. So I am also am confused why calling Kanye thick is a bad thing. I think it can be used for either guys or girls who have a little extra meat on them.
I don’t think he is fat. I think he looks good and is obviously doing a lot better mentally.
He looks fine to me. He’s just wearing loose clothes in that picture.
A little weight gain can be healthy anyway. Also inevitable in response to certain medications. But if he has gained weight, he needed it.
i bet he is on meds. but i know from therapy that sometimes self care is letting go or easing off of obsessive behaviors…which for some people can mean cutting things out of a packed schedule or militant work outs. i gained 20lbs almost overnight when i was treated for anxiety and i’ve never been able to lose it. i haven’t been on those meds for 6 years but my body changed but i’m happier and more able to deal with stress and i wouldn’t trade it.
My boyfriend loves him and thinks he’s a musical genius so I have a bit of a soft spot for him anyway. I hope he’s happier now.
He looks fine to me. Never understood why people have to resort to attacking someone’s looks in the first place.
Besides, I’m more intrigued with Kanye having lunch with someone that appears to work for Marvel Studios…future collaboration? I really hope so!
Completely agree and am digging the positivity. Thanks!
What? Some people think he is fat?
But this post proves you are a hypocrite. You are not nice. I think you can’t remember what you said about skinny celebs and other celebs.
People today have become more vain than ever before, especially online where they can hide their ugliness with anonymity. The term fat has lost it’s meaning. Like, anyone who is not stick thin is now called fat. There is a difference between chubby, thick, or having meat on one’s bones, and morbid obesity. Kanye isn’t fat, Rihanna isn’t fat, and Amy Schumer (though annoying) isn’t fat. Just because they are bigger than a size 8 doesn’t mean they are unhealthy. It’s almost a crime today to even have a belly from enjoying food. Not all of us want to look like Victoria Beckham or are willing to exercise two hours everyday to achieve that look.
All good points. I think we need more articles like this about women though. Men are usually cut loads of slack for gaining weight. It’s a non issue. But a woman gains weight and the entire world gasps & gossips!
And in all likelihood his weight gain is due to meds. He was on Lexapro in the past and may be on it again and it can cause weight gain. I’ve seen some photos of him recently and he seems happy. He was actually smiling. Who cares if he’s gained a few pounds?
Writer! Please give yourself a pat on the back for not only choosing the right words but discerning and addressing the real issues at hand – side effects of medication and the insensitivity of people! 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾
And I think whatever solutions Kayne is applying to get him to a peaceful place, is also saving his marriage and family! I’m praying for him!
It makes me angry that people are making fun of him. We saw how sick he was and it was public and nearly destroyed his career and torched his friendships.
I know someone who had a very rough start to life but was adopted by her foster family. They knew nothing about her birth parents except one parent was white and other black and thought that would be their biggest challenge.
As a child, she was beautiful, funny, smart and sweet, and creative but when she hit puberty, she started acting out and running away. The pattern became she would return pregnant and then disappear after giving birth. During one return they finally got a diagnosis and thought okay now everything will be alright and we will get our girl back. She started medication, got her GED and started college. Her life was sailing along, and her parents turned an old garden house on the property into a house and studio for her.
But the medication made her gain weight and comments about how beautiful she USED to be, and snide remarks about her diet or unsolicited dieting advice were constant. Even though she was eating healthy and running, the weight wouldn’t come off. Eventually, she stopped her medication, and everything went downhill again.
It was back and forth health and sick for years until finally she is lost to drugs and a life that she romanticizes as misunderstood edgy artist and attracts enablers who find her exciting and “wild”. Because her parents are raising her children, she is not allowed in the house anymore. Most of the time no one knows where she is or even if she is alive.
Weight gain is only a part of why she doesn’t take the medication but it is a good excuse not to and society encourages it by sending signals being overweight is a crime and if you are a woman you are also defective.
Kanye looks calm and healthy. He has two kids that need him to be that way so stop fat shaming a mentally ill person.
People are so fast to judge, also why do they even care enough to comment on some celebrity’s body?
I don’t think he looks any different!