In an interview years ago, Mindy Kaling raised the point that she was consistently asked about what it’s like to be a marginalized Indian-American woman in Hollywood. Her argument was that she was constantly asked about her marginalization and not her art (acting, writing and producing) while white dudes simply get asked about their art and their work. Well, these days, they’re not really asking Mindy about her marginalization as much as they’re talking about her body and her weight loss. If it’s not one thing it’s another, right? That being said, Mindy understands celebrity culture and she knows people are going to ask her about her weight-loss journey. Mindy appeared on The View this week, and those women were SO nice to her. They did ask her about weight loss and Mindy had some good answers:

Mindy Kaling is opening up about the motivation behind her weight loss journey — and shutting down the idea that it has to be about just one thing. Appearing on The View on Wednesday, May 27 to promote her new Hulu series, Not Suitable for Work, the actress and writer spoke candidly about the public reaction to her changing appearance while discussing her recent Bustle cover shoot.

“I think we all think it’s weird when public figures lose weight because we want this perfectly consistent narrative of their lives,” Kaling, 46, said, when asked how she responds to the conversation. “But I have wanted to lose weight since I was 12 years old. I’ve been writing jokes about diet and body image for 20 years now. So when people are surprised or shocked that I wanted to lose weight, I’m like, ‘Wait, how is this new? This has been part of my personality since the Clinton administration!’ ”

Kaling went on to say that she understands why people sometimes react strongly when celebrities change their appearance. “When we see, especially these days, someone that we’re used to a certain way look completely different, I think we feel betrayed,” she said.

The Office alum later explained that her health was a major factor in her decision to lose weight — but not the only one.

“I see a trainer three times a week. I really watch what I eat,” she said, after co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin complimented her toned arms.

“But also, in the same interview I said that I’m 46. I’m a single mom of three kids,” Kaling continued. “My mom died young of cancer and both my parents had diabetes. … I need to live. I need to live and the kids need me.”

Still, the actress said she doesn’t believe wanting to look good should invalidate the health component of her journey.

“I saw something recently … that people were like, ‘I wish Mindy would stop saying she’s doing it for the health and her kids, she just wants to look hot,’ ” Kaling said. “And I’m like, ‘Both can be true!’ ”

[From People]

As I said in my coverage of her Bustle interview, I have no doubt that she’s on a GLP-1, but I also have no doubt that she had/has legitimate health concerns which led to her going on the GLP-1. Like, diabetes on both sides of the family, her mother’s passing at a young age. And she’s never talked about whether her pregnancies led to health issues either. But yes, her point about her weight loss being part of her brand is correct too – she’s always been into fad-diets and trying to loss weight. She’s certainly found something that works now.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, screencap courtesy of The View.