Photo: CW Atlanta
Queen Latifah is now open for discussion about weight and wellness.
The rapper, whose fame dates back to the 1980s, has had her share of encounters in working in entertainment – and the public eye that comes with it – in a range of sizes.
She said to CNN that she knows she has been a good role model to several plus-sized women due to her success in a world that scrutinizes and criticizes women, specifically how they look.
“I have felt the pressure of representation throughout my career,” she revealed to CNN. “I’m glad that I decided to be me. I’m glad I had parents who raised me with enough self-love and constantly filled me with self-esteem.”
Queen Latifah wants to spread the spirit of empowerment, so she is eager to collaborate with Novo Nordisk for a campaign that aims to realign the conversation about obesity: weight and health.
“There has been a lot of stigma attached to that world [obesity], a lot of history to that word, a lot of ignorance attached to that word … and a lot of negativity throughout people’s lives,” she added.
The “It’s Bigger Than Me” campaign will allow Queen Latifah to travel for conversations in cities such as Houston, New York City, and Los Angeles.
Many women in America are obese, including four out of five Black females. Queen Latifah has decided that she wants to put some more thought into the effect of obesity on health and spend less time blaming and shaming themselves for their body size.
She stated that she has fought to have a change in perspective over the past years.
The Equalizer star continued that she has witnessed artists who have been one size before launching music only to rapidly transform their bodies when it’s time to promote their new releases that have become massive hits.
“When you’re someone that’s looking at that, it’s like ‘Ok, is this what I need to do next time I drop this album,'” she stated. “So, I contemplated that, and it really made me have a conversation with myself.”
Queen Latifah, who has lost a loved one due to obesity complications, said she has always considered the term to refer to someone who weighs hundreds of pounds and is immobilized.
Therefore, she was surprised to learn from her trainer that she would be obese at one point. But Queen Latifah stated that she’s okay with answering questions regarding her own weight journey on tour to divulge it all.
“One of the scariest things is watching people secretly do surgeries,” she stated of those who have been hesitant to disclose their weight journey to the public. “Because a lot of people feel alone when it comes to this topic. They deal with their emotions alone, they feel alone.”
The star wants to urge people to speak to their doctors and take the wheels to their health.
“Information is power,” she stated.
