Fitness guru Jillian Michaels believes 'obesity shouldn't be glamorized', says being politically correct could endanger people's health
Fitness guru Jillian Michaels is not one to be politically correct when it comes to speaking her mind on the sensitive subject of weight and health.
In an interview released by Women's Health UK on Thursday, Michaels revealed she believes the move towards political correctness in the world of health has gone too far. The former 'The Biggest Loser' trainer said that the body positivity movement may have improved life for people who would get "body shamed or fat shamed" but it sure raises concerns about actual health implications.
"I think we're politically correct to the point of endangering people," Michaels told Women's Health U.K. for their January /February issue. "Yes, we want to be inclusive of everyone [and respect that] everyone comes in all different shapes and sizes. That nobody should ever be body shamed or fat shamed or excluded and that everyone is equally deserving and should feel equally valuable." But added that it may prove detrimental for those who refuse to take their health seriously hiding behind such political correctness.
"Obesity in itself is not something that should be glamorized. But we've become so politically correct that no one wants to say it."
The 45-year-old New York Times-bestselling author and fitness guru also shared her opinion on 'The Biggest Loser'. "I think the world has shifted to a place where that format and messaging is considered fat shaming. But it isn't, and it's not meant to be. Now we've gone so far in the opposite direction."The show returns to USA Network in January.
Michaels started her year on a controversial note as she criticised keto diet when she called it "a terrible, terrible idea."
"Why would anyone think this is a good idea?" she had said. "Your cells, your macromolecules, are literally made up of protein, fat, carbohydrates, nucleic acids. when you do not eat one of the three macronutrients - those three things I just mentioned - you're starving yourselves. Those macronutrients serve a very important purpose for your overall health and wellbeing. Each and every one of them."
Following this statement, she faced backlash from keto followers including celebrities like Andy Cohen, and Al Roker, who criticized her training module on 'The Biggest Loser'. "So @JillianMichaels says #Keto is a bad idea. This from a woman who promoted on camera bullying , deprivation, manipulation and more weekly in the name of weight loss. Now those sound like bad ideas."