Bollywood star Aishwarya Rai branded ‘a disgrace’ over baby weight
From hearing people compliment your new bundle of joy to witnessing your child’s first words, giggles and steps, there’s so many things to make women smile in the first year of the motherhood.
One thing that’s unlikely to cheer you up during a day of nappy-changing, feeding and screaming, is reading headlines about how your choice to prioritise your new arrival over shedding your baby weight makes you a disgrace to your country.
But that’s just what Bollywood beauty Aishwarya Rai has experienced recently. The former Miss World, who’s married to the son of one of Indian’s best loved stars, found herself in the headlines for all the wrong reasons as commentators lambasted her for letting her fans down.
-
Yet Aishwarya Rai has been lambasted for not losing her baby weight as quickly as some women such as Victoria Beckham
One website even posted a video of the star looking less than her usual svelte self, flicking between photographs of pre-birth and now. However, Abu Dhabi-based advertising executive Sonam T is disgusted by the star’s treatment.
She says: “It’s one thing if she’s being criticised for putting on weight as a model or actress, but for being a mum?
“Her weight isn’t betraying anyone and isn’t anyone’s business unless she’s starring in their movie or endorsing their brands. Frankly, it’s a positive message to all the real everyday mums who are often intimidated by celebs who manage to lose all the baby weight instantly and look so glamourous.
“It’s hard enough dealing with all the changes in your body and looking after a newborn baby so to make new mum’s - celeb or otherwise - feel awful about their weight it just wrong.
“Being healthy is more important. I think it’s great she’s not being self-obsessed and fixating on her weight and is instead focusing on her health and her baby like she should be!” Forget focusing on Aishwarya’s few extra kilos, says Dubai-based doctor Shereen Habib. Instead look at how she’s coping with her new responsibilities.
“I think it’s ridiculous that we put all this emphasis on a woman’s weight instead of looking at whether she’s happy or not,” said Dr Habib. “The issues we should be looking at are things like post-natal depression. It’s really not going to help her if she’s being insulted in the press.
“Every woman is different. it took me ages to lose weight after my first baby and with the subsequent baby I had no problem at all. I think with the first baby, women struggle because there’s a big shift in their hormones and physiology so often with first baby it’s more of a struggle to lose the weight.
“Some people say breast feeding helps them lose the weight, and we always advocate breast feeding as being good for the baby and the mother’s health, but it’s not always the case that it helps you lose weight.
“A lot of women find they feel incredibly hungry all the time and end up eating more calories than they actually need. Your body makes certain demands on you when you become a mother. With the breast feeding, the physiology and all the other changes you do need a slightly increased calorie intake.”
With some of Rai’s critics suggesting the star should follow the example of celebs like Victoria Beckham, who went back to a size zero just weeks after delivery, Dr Habib says it’s important to remember all women are different. She also says as the mum of a six-month-old baby, Aishwarya probably has more on her mind than achieving a six pack.
She adds: “The last thing on your mind when you’re up all night with a crying baby is losing weight and it’s an unrealistic demand to say women should lose weight fast.
“If you have a personal trainer, a chef, assistants, fine, maybe it’s easier to lose weight but normal women struggle to lose baby weight. It’s an unhealthy expectation for women to snap back into shape. Its ridiculous.”
Indian expat and mum of one, Ruchi Kapoor says she can’t understand the responsibility being heaped on the Bollywood beauty. Kapoor says: “How can anybody be betraying their country or fans for failing to lose weight?
“Why is it such a big issue? It’s her life and as long as she is happy being a mum and not doing a movie, why does it matter? It’s her call.” Dr Habib has a no-nonsense piece of final advice for anyone out to slate Aishwarya - or indeed any mums who opt to enjoy motherhood rather than shaping up immediately.
“Lay off her and lay off all other normal women as well!”
eve.dugdale@7days.ae
Comments
by dxbgal
Saturday, May 26 2012, 10:56PM
“Nursing helps lose the weight quickly. A lot of women who can't shed the baby weight gained way too much to begin with and used pregnancy as an excuse to stuff themselves beyond what is necessary to produce a healthy baby. There is no need to eat anything other than what the doctor says are necessary foods to produce enough milk and a healthy baby. You don't need to gain 50 pounds and then whine about how hard it is to lose it. A lot of women I know had kids, stayed at home to look after their baby, worked out at home when the baby was asleep, ate the right foods and lost the weight in less than six months. They did it to be happy with their weight, to be healthy and to look good for themselves and their husbands, after all which husband on earth wants an overweight wife? Not many judging from the feedback I got. Put your baby as a priority but lose weight if you want to lose weight, not because others expect it. Aishwarya does need to lose the weight if she wants to go back to movies because lets face it, no director would hire her, Bollywood has never had a fat leading lady and her modelling contracts would suffer unless the companies plan on altering the ads to death to make her look slim.”
by Aisha Masood
Monday, May 21 2012, 5:14PM
“She's a former Miss World and a treasured Bollywood star, but Aishwarya Rai appears to have fallen out of favour with India's media in an extraordinary row over her weight. :P seems like she is in no hurry to drop her extra pounds, preferring to "enjoy motherhood".”
by grazzie
Monday, May 21 2012, 5:06PM
“Let the woman enjoy some modicum of privacy to savor motherhood! Being a celebrity doesn't give anybody the license to malign and insult her for her choices and decisions!! If she is planning to resume making movies, that's the time she has to make an effort to lose weight. People should not throw insults and hide behind the veil of the usual line: "she has the responsibility to always look good for her fans and admirers!" Foremost in a mother's agenda, celebrity or not, is the welfare of her newborn. She has the right to decide when to bounce back with a vengeance in her own time.”
by shazia2579
Monday, May 21 2012, 3:22PM
“omg world - its her life ppl let her live !!
you are not taking care of her baby or gvg her the luxury she enjoys - so get real people !”
by Lona
Monday, May 21 2012, 11:52AM
“I loved your article – The mother of all insults! I could not agree more as I can so relate to the criticism –to the extent that soon after delivery when I was out of the operation theater some one passed a comment – OH! Look at her belly, its still BIG!!! Seriously!! After being in labor for 12 long hours and with all the hormones getting the best of me…I was so close to whacking the day lights out of that person.
I gained 20kgs post delivery not because I was on an eating spree but mainly to enhance milk supply. I would gulp down anything and everything that was suggested - Porridge / avocado milk shake / Extra fat milk, you name it and I am sure I've had it! I am not really sure how much all of that actually helped my supply but knowing how beneficial BM is to an infant I was not going to leave any stone unturned to make sure my son gets the best from me. I didn't really care what it was doing to my waist line.
Spending an hour in the gym (as most of my so called well wishers would suggest) was not an option either; why spend an hour in the gym when I would rather be with my precious baby??!!?? You do not get to live these moments everyday and I didn't care what the world thought of me as long as I was comfortable in my skin.
To me it is all about your priorities. 18 months later I am back to my pre pregnancy weight and the same people who used to criticize my weight seem to be tongue tied when they see me in my skinny jeans. To each their own, in my opinion it is more important on being hands on Mom and spend as much time with my lil one. At the end of the day if your weight gain is not causing you any health issues, take your time…enjoy being a mother to the optimum and take pleasure in every moment! This is for all those who think it is their right to comment and criticize; will leave you will a quote to ponder on – A child needs a role model not a super model!”
by shobdxb
Sunday, May 20 2012, 2:32PM
“Even though Aishwarya is a celebrity , it is more important that all of us should understand that she has her own personal life and she is the better judge then any one else.
Let her enjoy her own life as a complte woman as a mom!”
by Real N Romany
Sunday, May 20 2012, 11:45AM
“Thankyou, an article that actually has a doctor's opinion rather than the drivel encountered”