Adele broke the internet earlier this week, but it wasn’t because she released a new album.
For her 32nd birthday, Adele posted her first Instagram photo since Christmas Eve which showed her standing behind a floral arrangement. In the caption, she thanked everyone for the birthday greetings, as well as the first responders and essential workers who are keeping everyone safe during the pandemic.
But all people could talk about was Adele’s weight loss.
This isn’t the first time this happened. During Drake’s birthday party in October, people already noticed Adele’s body transformation, noting how great she looked. She also addressed that she’s been working out in a post, saying, “I used to cry but now I sweat.” (We have a theory that “cry” is pertaining to her recent split with husband Simon Kanecki.)
Of course, we can’t speak for Adele and what she’s going through. What we do know is that she has been working out (her favorite is pilates, apparently) and eating a balanced diet since last year. A source told Us Weekly that Adele’s goal wasn’t to lose weight. “She really wants to be healthy and set a good example for her son. She’s more focused on feeling good and the health benefits than the weight loss.”
As we’ve said before, a person’s weight isn’t a measure of their health. Just because someone is on the chubbier side doesn’t mean they have underlying health issues; and people with petite frames don’t always mean they have a great lifestyle.
And yes, many people work out to be stronger. The eventual weight gain or loss is just an another effect of working out—it’s not necessarily a goal for people like Adele.
READ MORE: Your new workout motivator: Lizzo
We agree that Adele looks great, but she’s always been beautiful. She’s also a f*cking talented singer with 15 Grammys under her belt. Plus, she has a new album coming out this year. And it seems like people forgot about her accomplishments the moment they saw her new physique.
Ask yourself: Do you think people are more beautiful or better when they lose weight? Do their body transformations change how you perceive them?
A model’s viral tweet encapsulates this problem: “When I lost over 100 lbs, everyone suddenly loved me. Everyone thought I was gorgeous. Everyone thought I was powerful. I can assure you being congratulated for weight loss just feels like your greatest fear confirmed. You have to be thin to be valuable to the world. It sucks.”
READ MORE: Why we need to get over fatphobia and body shaming ways
As progressive as our world has become, many still have the dated mindset that fat is bad and plus-sized people are secondary compared to those who are conventionally fit. Heck, we still have to deal with people who think “You lost weight” is a compliment and having a “revenge body” is necessary after a breakup.
We see netizens praise several celebrities and models for showing off their stretch marks—calling them brave as if these features aren’t normal in a lot of women’s bodies. But when plus-sized people like Lizzo proudly show off their cellulite, people don’t want to see that on their feeds. When in fact, these are just as normal as the stretch marks you praise so much.
We also have to remember lessons in body neutrality where we’re reminded that our bodies, first and foremost, and regardless of their shape and form, serve a purpose. Our physical appearance doesn’t define our worth as a person—our talents and personality do. At the same time, it’s acknowledging that it’s okay to not be okay with certain parts of our bodies. (But we’re still going to flaunt them if we want to.)
This matter obviously doesn’t just concern Adele, but all women who are either unappreciated or discriminated against because of their weight. You are more than your body and the transformations can go through.
Art by Tricia Guevara
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“You lost weight” isn’t a compliment
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This magazine referred to Adele and Michelle Williams as “Divorce Bombshells” and WTF