Weight has always been a hot topic in Hollywood.
But sometimes, a drastic drop in pounds has nothing to do with prepping for a role, or
pressure from the media — it's all about getting healthy.
These celebs went under the knife to get their lives back on track —
Star Jones
On August 19, 2003, former View co-host Star Jones found herself in the hospital, getting
prepped for a gastric bypass.
She revealed her internal struggle, telling Glamour, "How had I allowed myself to get
to 307 pounds?"
Following her 40th birthday, Jones revealed the toll her weight was taking on her health,
saying "I couldn't breathe without sounding winded; walk without getting tired; sleep
without snoring; or take a flight without using a seat belt extender."
It was a good friend who finally encouraged the host to make a change.
Jones said, "She knew my weight was a subject no one dared mention, but she didn't care.
I knew in my heart that her love and respect for me were pure.
I cried; I got angry — but eventually I took the first step and walked into a doctor's
office."
And these days, Jones is slaying with her new bod.
Roseanne Barr
Comedian Roseanne Barr has been a household name since her '90s hit show, Roseanne.
"Bacon is loaded with sodium, nitrites, grease, and animal fat."
"Breakfast!"
But when in 2014, at age 61, she showed up on the red carpet at an NBC Universal press
event looking slimmer than ever, many people could barely recognize her.
Barr decided to undergo plastic surgery procedures — including a tummy tuck and breast reduction
— and a gastric bypass in 1998.
In 2007, she joked, "I had my entire digestive system removed, so I should look thinner."
Barr told Closer Weekly that her success comes down to a vegetarian diet and exercise.
The comedian also relies on a step counter to make sure she clocks 6,500 steps every
day, telling the mag, "I don't care about anything but getting my steps and fueling
myself to get my steps."
Randy Jackson
American Idol fans took serious notice when judge Randy Jackson got gastric bypass surgery
in 2003 after being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.
He lost a whopping 100 pounds, but admitted that keeping his weight in check hasn't been
easy.
Looking back on his journey, adding in lots of exercise and healthy eating, he told The
Doctors:
"I had to have major behavior modification in every way"
"And, Y'know, I just tell people: you gotta find things that work for you."
Sharon Osbourne
Reality TV star, longtime manager-wife of Ozzy Osbourne, and current co-host of The
Talk, Sharon Osbourne has talked openly about her decision to get gastric bypass surgery
in 1999 — and later, reverse it.
Despite losing weight, Osbourne told ET in 2014 that she felt "like such a cheat when
I had that band on my stomach.
It makes you vomit the whole time.
Nothing goes down because it goes out."
In 2006, Osbourne had the band removed and opted to follow the low-carb Atkins diet.
With her usual candor, she admitted, "I'd be fibbing if I said I don't cheat because
I do...but I don't guilt myself out because the next day I'll start with my Atkins breakfast
sandwich and I'm right back on it."
Lisa Lampanelli
At 51, comedian Lisa Lampanelli underwent gastric sleeve surgery after trying "every
single thing imaginable" to lose weight, from eating the right foods to exercise.
"I even went to rehab for food addiction a 28-day program in the desert….and it was
freakin' horrible."
Frustrated with the lack of results, Lampanelli revealed to Dr. Oz that in 2012 she finally
decided to get medical help.
"I said, you know what?
Nothing's working for me, I'm going to treat this like the addiction that it is"
By 2015, she had lost 100 pounds.
But the journey was anything but easy.
She said, "I always cheat with dark chocolate, or I'm a fanatic for popcorn [...] It's emotional
eating, so every time something bad happens, you just have to look yourself in the eyes
and ask, 'Am I physically hungry?'
Because if not, you can't eat it.
And you just have to feel the feeling."
Graham Elliot
Superstar chef Graham Elliot became a household name as the judge of both MasterChef and MasterChef
Jr.
But, off-camera, in 2013, he underwent a sleeve gastrectomy procedure to remove about 80 percent
of his stomach.
The formerly-400-pound chef told the Toronto Sun that by the next year, he'd lost more
than 150 pounds.
Elliot recalled how, previously, he was "at school for a father-son day, [and] a couple
of his friends had stuffed basketballs under their shirts and started saying they looked
like me.
I could tell my son was embarrassed."
That was the wakeup call he needed.
Elliot also overhauled his diet, trading in carbs and sweets for greens and healthy alternatives
like black bean pasta.
"I eat healthy, I run, I do marathons, I'm active, it's astonishing what it feels
like.
[...] You make choices in your life — I decided to make healthy eating choices."
Carnie Wilson
Carnie Wilson, of '90s female vocal trio Wilson Phillips, has gotten weight loss surgery not
once, but twice.
After initially losing 150 pounds following gastric bypass in 1999, she admitted to Fox
News in 2012 that due to high amounts of stress, she had again gained weight.
Also contributing to her weight gain were two pregnancies — and by 2011, she reportedly
hit 236 pounds and was eating close to 2,300 calories per day.
Wilson decided to go back under the knife in 2012, this time opting for lap band surgery.
Citing her, quote "obsessive compulsive and addictive behavior," Wilson admits her food
struggles always come down to one daily choice: "Am I going to eat healthy today or am I going
to make some sh**ty decisions?"
Caitlin Van Zandt
Actress Caitlin Van Zandt, star of Guiding Light and The Sopranos, went from a size 20
to a size 8 after shedding serious pounds thanks to lap band surgery, in 2008.
One year later, the star was down 90 pounds, telling People, "I feel much sexier and much
happier."
VanZandt, who was 23 years old at the time, also traded in her daily white chocolate mocha
and pizza for healthier alternatives.
She also adopted a new exercise regimen, which included a 30-minute kettlebell workout, belly
dancing classes, and even tap dancing.
Al Roker
Today Show weatherman Al Roker had this "AHA!" moment when he reached his heaviest, at 340
pounds.
Opting for weight loss surgery, the beloved TV personality dropped 115 pounds, telling
Today in 2013, "I'm thrilled about where I am.
Life is terrific; I wouldn't trade it for a moment.
I'm thrilled that I've finally got to this place at 58 years old."
These days, Roker sticks to unprocessed foods that are high in protein and low in carbs
and does three 30-minute exercise sessions each week...
Y'know, when he's not flipping signature burgers for charity.
Weight loss in America
The American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery estimates that the number of weight
loss surgery procedures in the United States steadily increased from 158,000 to 196,000
between 2011 and 2015.
And among them are celebrities hoping to gain control over their eating habits, just like
many everyday folks around the country.
And as these celebs prove, it's by no means an easy way out.
But with some dedication, paired with the right diet and exercise, it can result in
a life-changing transformation.
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