The Conversations Around Adele's Weight Loss: Do We Need Them?

Singer Adele has taken the Internet by storm by posting a photo of herself after a drastic weight loss. With this image, she thanked her fans on Instagram who had wished her happy birthday. The singer recently turned 32. In the photograph, the singer can be seen standing behind a huge flower wreath in a little black dress with flounced sleeves. The post is said to have garnered some 61,000 comments in just four hours! Yes, she looks lovely and stunning. We also agree with the fan who tweeted, “Adele's transformation is a kind reminder that you can achieve whatever you set your mind to." But did we love the old Adele any less?

The Hello singer is rumoured to have shed a 100lbs by way of a calorie-controlled diet of 'green juice and 1000 calories-a-day' the Dailymail reported. That she was on a weight loss journey would not have been news for many of her fans. Last year at Christmas and early this year in February she shared photographs of herself which showed she was working towards a toned body.

The Hello singer is rumoured to have shed a 100lbs by way of a calorie-controlled diet of 'green juice and 1000 calories-a-day' the Dailymail reported.

Adele has not commented on her weight loss journey publicly and that has given way to a lot of speculations. Social media is divided over whether it is a good or a bad thing. So, the best thing is to assume that she is feeling healthy and has worked with professionals to achieve a commendable output from her diet and fitness routine. And this entire journey has been able to make her feel really good about herself.

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The bigger problem here is how we engage with these weight loss stories. Celebrating them is saying that the conventional idea of beauty is the correct choice to make. In a patriarchal society, which governs how women’s bodies should look like, it is seldom that public figures decide to not conform to the stereotype. The only Indian actress I can think of is Vidya Balan. Also, remember that many people would have identified with Adele because of her past appearance and her size. The change will push many more people to look for an Adele Moment without realizing the fact that there is a team and system in place which works with such public figures if and when they decide to undertake such journeys. Such weight loss journeys do not happen overnight and are often supplemented by plastic surgeries and other non-surgical cosmetic procedures. Things which no one talks about. Major weight loss often leaves behind loose skin, which may not look very fab. Closer to home actor Sonam Kapoor as openly talked about this issue on several occasions.

Remember that many people would have identified with Adele because of her past appearance and her size. The change will push many more people to look for an Adele Moment.

Our society’s relationship with fat is a complicated one. Beauty doesn’t have to be determined by a person’s size. Adele is an Oscar-winning singer. She has 15 Grammy Awards and 18 Billboard Music Awards to her credit. We have always admired her for that. She is an inspiration. We will assume her weight loss is not just for vanity. Anyway, her size doesn’t tell us anything about the state of her mind. We loved her then, we love her now. We hope she finds comfort in her newly acquired shape, we promise to celebrate women in all sizes.         

Also Read: Alia Bhatt addresses the issue of Slut Shaming  

PC; The Express Tribune   

The views expressed are the author's own.