Nicole Richie's Weight Issues:
Is It Wrong To Have Mixed Feelings About Them?
I just heard this on Access Hollywood and caught a picture of her looking somewhat healthier. I can't tell if the weight gain is obvious or not, but there was a throng of Nicole-hungry paps swelling around her. Paris was by her side and I have to say that I am glad they are friends again. It's hard to lose people we have grown to care about, so I am happy for both of them. But I digress.
I'm sure the entertainment blogs are all over this story. I can't keep up with them, as they can end up being a time-consuming obsession. I must admit I am hooked on both the DListed blog and The Skinny Website, but I limit myself to those two only. I haven't had my weblog fix today, but I'm sure they are all a-buzz about Nicole's quick success in weight gain.
But I can't help feeling torn about this. On the one hand, it's good that she is getting help for her obvious eating disorder. I realize there have been rampant rumours that she had a drug problem and this likely stems from the fact that Nicole was in rehab several years back for a heroin addiction. I suppose cocaine could be involed in this, but since there's no viable proof of this, we should probably take Nicole's word for it that substance dependancy isn't a factor in her dramatic weight-loss.
But there is a significant part of me that feels rather badly for the girl. She worked damned hard to get down to 87 pounds. I read that she would do ninety minutes of cardiovascular exercise, followed by an hour with weights. That's pretty impressive when her weight was so low. But, even so, she has a good amount of muscle in her legs. Even at her lowest weight, her legs looked phenomenal. I hope she doesn't gain too much, but I am relieved that she isn't being allowed to starve herself to death while the world looks on in abject horror.
So are we wrong if we feel that Nicole is losing some of her control over her weight? I know that I would be freaking if someone forced me into the hospital once I reach my goal weight of 90 pounds on my five foot three-inch body. Does this mean that Nicole won't be able to exercise like a mad feind anymore? If someone told me I could no longer run four hours a day, I'd feel pressured and would suffer a severe bout of loss-of-control.
So I'm ambivalent about Nicole Richie's weight gain. Does this make me feel badly? Well, yes, in a way it does. But being saddled with eating disorders for most of my life so far, has somewhat warped my perceptions. I'm sure I am not alone in this. It just feels so uncomfortable.
