Sharon Osbourne and Marie Osmond Recall How It Felt to Be Criticized for Their Weight

Sharon Osbourne and Marie Osmond recount their early body-shaming experiences at a talk show.

People of all shapes and sizes have, at one point or the other, been criticized for their physical appearances and given unsolicited “advice” on what they should and should not do to “look better.” From all indications, this criticism hits harder when you are a public figure.

In The Talk@Home show, Sharon Osbourne and Marie Osmond shared with the hosts the ordeals they faced at home and in the industry because of their looks and weight. The discovery that Valerie Bertinelli had been body-shamed as a child was what triggered the discussion.

Carrie Underwood states that she was motivated by all the hurtful words from people across the world to do better and live healthier.

Sharon Osbourne talked at length about her experiences as a child, and how the criticism started with her elder brother, who got his friends to join in mocking her. She recollects feeling small and trying to find ways to look better. Sharon also spoke about how body-shaming could affect a child’s mental health. The 67-year old said:

“if you abuse somebody enough about something, it could become a terrible disorder with them.”

Singer Marie Osmond, who has been in the industry since she was three years old, also joined the conversation and detailed how she was “shamed her whole career.”

Marie recalls feeling so hurt she stopped mingling with girls her age and attending church fellowships till her mother, who is now late, encouraged her.

Closer Weekly examines how Marie’s mother, Olive, made a huge difference in her daughter’s social life by not just encouraging her, but also being an excellent example for Marie to follow.

Olive did not allow the now 60-year old cower and hide in shame even though that was all Marie wanted to do at the time. Body-shaming is a problem that has been around since time immemorial.

While these veterans know it would take a lot of effort to put a permanent end to the menace, they cannot wrap their heads around the fact that the problem still exists in such magnitude.

The effects of body-shaming vary from person to person. In this report by Yahoo! Life, Carrie Underwood states that she was motivated by all the hurtful words from people across the world to do better and live healthier.