One with Aishwarya Rai, Weight Issues and Me

I feel sorry for Aishwarya Rai, I really do. Though I have never considered her to be a great actress or a wonderful person, I feel sorry for the way media is all hullaballoo about her post pregnancy weight. The woman has just given birth to a baby girl. A feat many dream to achieve someday. Let her enjoy the motherhood and please compliment her on the new addition to the family. Why the whole attention on her weight? Maybe this is whole downside of being a celebrity, especially if you are labelled as one of the most beautiful woman in this world. I am sure Aishwarya would very well be adapted to all this attention considering the fact that her whole life (her previous relationships, temple visits before her marriage, her pregnancy, etc.) had been ripped apart with equal fervour.

Please see the below photo from the cover of Femina from June 2010. The picture juxtaposes her pics from 2000 and 2010 and tells what a timeless beauty she is.

Going from this to being criticised for the post pregnancy weight can be hard. Considering the fact that responsive journalism is something we are far far away from and any gossip related to celebrities sells like hot cakes, I shouldn't be too aghast with this unwanted attention on her post pregnancy weight. However what makes me irritated is the message that is being send out with this. Are all the new mothers supposed to lose weight and be bikini-ready in a matter of few weeks? Does this mean we aren't supposed to put a little bit of weight whether we go through a pregnancy, disease, medicines, steroids or any treatment? How unfair it is. Come what may, don't you dare put on a few kilos, be still in your weight and inches because you are a woman? Really?

All this hullaballoo reminds me of the my own weight (gain) issues. For the first twenty years of my life, I had been skinny, skinny to the point of being underweight. My mom and aunts used to force feed me. They used to think I am not eating anything because I wanted to be skinny when such a thought had never crossed my mind. I used to eat to my heart's content and still remained slim. My (under)weight had been a topic of many a family discussions and I was pretty much bored/irritated the entire time during these discussions. I failed to understand how my weight can be a topic of grave concern.

I moved out of my house and got my first (sedentary)job when I was 21 and I easily piled on kilos in the next three years. My weight again became a concern for my family and relatives. The same people who used to force feed me made comments about how much over weight I have become and how 'ugly' I have become. I on the other hand was disillusioned. I was staying away from home for the first time; I used to get very unhealthy carb-rich food in my paying guest accomodation; it was my first job and it didn't know how to handle many things. On top of it, I was sad due to various reasons. My (over) weight again became a topic of family discussion. Sigh ! I tried hard and lost all the piled kilos in the next three years. But the point I am trying to make is it is difficult to lose the extra kilos quickly (in a healthy manner) and it is even more difficult when your weight is constantly under scrutiny. Even now, whenever I visit my hometown, the first thing people say is "You have put on/off weight". Is there something called a "weight that satisfies everyone"? Either you are too fat or too skinny. Funniest thing is my in-laws think I am too skinny. Everytime I talk to them they tell me to eat properly and put on weight when I am trying hard to eat healthy and maintain my weight :)

So lets cut some slack. Don't be too judmental about someone's weight. Every person's body is different and a workout/eating habit that works for you may not work for someone else. Throw in some genetic factors and you get the bigger picture. Let the new mommies enjoy their motherhood; let the people recovering from disease/medicines take their own time and enjoy their health; afterall life is not measured in inches or kilos.