Lizzo's Weight Gain & Choice to Celebrate Her Body — A Look at the Singer's Life

Lizzo's weight gain was something the singer celebrated in the past. The "Rumors" artist believes that each body type deserves to be accepted and loved despite society's standards. However, not everyone agrees with the singer.

"It's About Damn Time" and "Juice" are just some of the hits for which international superstar Lizzo is known. Behind the mic, she is Texas-raised Melissa Viviane Jefferson.

Growing up involved in the Pentecostal Church, much of Lizzo's songs today would not have been allowed in her household as a child.

Lizzo was accustomed to gospel music during her younger years and only broadened her knowledge of artists when she moved to Houston. By the time she was in high school, Lizzo was already rapping, and later, she joined a rock band.

WHAT DOES LIZZO THINK OF HER WEIGHT?

Aside from her songs, Lizzo is known for being big on body positivity. She is proud of her curves and encourages others to feel the same way. In fact, the singer celebrated her weight gain at the start of 2022 with a short video she posted on Instagram. She also said in a separate interview:

"I think it's lazy for me to just say I'm body positive at this point. It's easy. I would like to be body-normative. I want to normalize the body."

The three-time Grammy winner wants to send a message that includes everyone. "What I don't like is how the people that this term was created for are not benefiting from it," she said. "Girls with back fat, girls with bellies that hang, girls with thighs that aren't separated, that overlap."

While Lizzo has the confidence and self-love she has today, the "Truth Hurts" songstress admitted that she struggled with her body image several times in the past. Now, she is a voice of encouragement to others to accept the skin they were given, regardless of the size.

Lizzo's message about self-acceptance resonated with many people, hence her vast and growing fan base. Her message had a clear impact on people around the globe, making it no surprise that many would defend Lizzo at any chance.

WHAT DID JILLIAN MICHAELS SAY ABOUT LIZZO?

However, some disagree with the singer, including celebrity fitness enthusiast Jillian Michaels, who contested "AM2DM" host Alex Berg's praise for the likes of Lizzo. She said:

"Why are we celebrating her [Lizzo's] body? Why does it matter? Why aren't we celebrating her music? 'Cause it isn't going to be awesome if she gets diabetes. I'm just being honest. Like, I love her music."

She added, "But there's never a moment where I'm like, 'And I'm so glad she's overweight!' Like, why do I even care? Why is it my job to care about her weight?"

Michaels refused to celebrate Lizzo's celebration of being overweight due to probable current and future health issues that may arise from it. However, her comments drew flak from both celebrities and fans, who labeled her as a fat-phobic and body-shamer.

Although Lizzo did not address Michaels's comments, her body-positive posts on social media may be an indirect response.

Despite the backlash she faced, Michaels stood by her stance and clarified her statement on social media, stating that everyone is beautiful in their own way and should love themselves. However, part of that self-love is being aware of health consequences.

"There are serious health consequences that come with obesity — heart disease, diabetes, cancer, to name only a few. I would never wish these for ANYONE, and I would hope we prioritize our health because we LOVE ourselves and our bodies," she said.

It was not the first time people disagreed with Lizzo. Previously, the singer received hate after releasing her track "Rumors" with Cardi B. The singer was body shamed and became the subject of social media trolls who did not know the real her. Nevertheless, Lizzo received overwhelming support from fans.