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“Looks Really Skeletal”: Kate Lawler Hits Back At Body-Shamers Claiming She “Triggered Anorexics”
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“Looks Really Skeletal”: Kate Lawler Hits Back At Body-Shamers Claiming She “Triggered Anorexics”

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Kate Lawler has a message for those who have body-shamed her due to her weight.

The TV personality has been thrust into the center of many accusations that she suffers from eating disorders, such as anorexia, or that she is severely deficient in calories.

But on the November 6th podcast episode of It Can’t Just Be Me, with Anna Richardson, the Big Brother alumna hit back at anyone who would tell her what is and isn’t healthy for her body.

Highlights
  • Kate Lawler defends her body, insists she's healthy and eats enough.
  • Lawler confronts body shamers, calls out double standards on body image.
  • Expert warns that weight shaming can harm psychological and physical health.

Kate Lawler responds to anyone judging her appearance and insisting she has an eating disorder

Image credits: annarichardso

After Kate posted a series of holiday bikini pictures last year, people pointed fingers at the 44-year-old and judged her slender frame.

“You’ve triggered anorexics and should apologise,” one of the comments read.

Others appeared to agree, saying, “She looks really skeletal.”

On Wednesday, Kate responded, saying, “People are like, ‘You can’t be eating,’ but I am happy with the size I am. I do eat.”

Last year, Kate had a similar response to online trolls

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Image credits: thekatelawler

In an interview with The Sun back in September 2023, Kate responded to the insensitivity of some of the comments she’d received.

“I’m slim, not skinny, and I’m healthy. My BMI is within the ideal range,” she said. “I’ve varied between 8st 4lb and 8st 8lb since the nineties. I went down to 8st in my twenties when I wasn’t looking after my body, but the only time I was bigger was in Big Brother in 2002.”

Additionally, fans had compared her to her fellow Big Brother contestant Nikki Grahame, who passed away in 2021 after battling anorexia her entire life.

“I honestly couldn’t believe it,” Kate said, referring to the comparisons. “To compare me to her is outrageous and so insensitive to Nikki’s family.”

Image credits: thekatelawler

She went on, “If someone is on Instagram showing their curves and grabbing their rolls, it’s all, ‘You go girl, well done you!’” referencing the double standards on social media, where plus-sized women are praised for embracing their bodies, while slender women do not receive the same treatment.

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“They’re celebrated, called real women,” she said. “Well, why can’t a real woman be a healthy size eight? It’s crazy.”

An expert broke down the perceived stigma of skinny shaming and why it happens

Image credits: thekatelawler

It’s a somewhat common misconception that people with “single-digit body fat percentages” are not healthy. 

According to Melissa J. Pereau, a medical director and psychiatrist at Loma Linda University Behavioral Medicine Center, commenting on this and participating in weight shaming can lead to the deterioration of both psychological and physical health.

“Teasing someone for their weight is never acceptable,” she said. “If people knew the long-term impact bullying has, I hope they would think twice about their words.”

When someone receives hate comments regarding their figure or body, they may delve into unhealthy behaviors such as binge eating or other measures that take things to the extreme. 

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Michelle Tian

Michelle Tian

Author, BoredPanda staff

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Hi, there! I'm a newswriter at Bored Panda, born and raised in Vancouver, Canada. I have a bachelor's degree in journalism from Boston University, as well as a philosophy minor. A few of my other hobbies include dancing, reading, cooking, or listening to a true crime podcast.

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Michelle Tian

Michelle Tian

Author, BoredPanda staff

Hi, there! I'm a newswriter at Bored Panda, born and raised in Vancouver, Canada. I have a bachelor's degree in journalism from Boston University, as well as a philosophy minor. A few of my other hobbies include dancing, reading, cooking, or listening to a true crime podcast.

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Apatheist Account2
Community Member
6 days ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

She's certainly on the slim side, but definitely nowhere near how Nikki looked towards the end. I used to work with someone who was a UK size 6 - she was just petite. You can tell from the musculature and face whether they are dangerously underweight or not.

Weasel Wise
Community Member
6 days ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I've had this talk twice in the past month, not necessarily skinny shaming, but just cuz someone is skinny, why does it make it okay to comment on someone's body? I had a customer comment on me being skinny and how it must be easy for me. It's really hard to not snap back, "Yep! It's easy being skinny when your chronically sick and you struggle with anorexia."

Nikole
Community Member
4 days ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My mom has had this her whole life. Even my dad makes “jokes” when her sisters start in on her (but my dad making “jokes” is a whole different issue).

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JenniB
Community Member
6 days ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The double standard is real and unfair, we don't like or condone fat shaming so why skinny shaming? When I was in my 20's I was 5'7" and 110lbs but very healthy, women at work would "jokingly" bring me their 4-7 year old daughters old clothes to "hand down" to me. It wasn't funny 25 years ago and it's not funny now.

Nikole
Community Member
4 days ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Probably 110-115 (same height as you) was my weight in my 20s, but similar damn things would happen to me at work. When lunch was being ordered for the department, they’d say things like, “Oh, you don’t need to ask Nikole what she wants; she won’t eat it anyway!” And then they’d cackle. It was only after I started gaining weight (due to resuming my alcoholic drinking!) that they were nice-ish to me. And by “they”, of course I mean other women.

Load More Replies...
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Apatheist Account2
Community Member
6 days ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

She's certainly on the slim side, but definitely nowhere near how Nikki looked towards the end. I used to work with someone who was a UK size 6 - she was just petite. You can tell from the musculature and face whether they are dangerously underweight or not.

Weasel Wise
Community Member
6 days ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I've had this talk twice in the past month, not necessarily skinny shaming, but just cuz someone is skinny, why does it make it okay to comment on someone's body? I had a customer comment on me being skinny and how it must be easy for me. It's really hard to not snap back, "Yep! It's easy being skinny when your chronically sick and you struggle with anorexia."

Nikole
Community Member
4 days ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My mom has had this her whole life. Even my dad makes “jokes” when her sisters start in on her (but my dad making “jokes” is a whole different issue).

Load More Replies...
JenniB
Community Member
6 days ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The double standard is real and unfair, we don't like or condone fat shaming so why skinny shaming? When I was in my 20's I was 5'7" and 110lbs but very healthy, women at work would "jokingly" bring me their 4-7 year old daughters old clothes to "hand down" to me. It wasn't funny 25 years ago and it's not funny now.

Nikole
Community Member
4 days ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Probably 110-115 (same height as you) was my weight in my 20s, but similar damn things would happen to me at work. When lunch was being ordered for the department, they’d say things like, “Oh, you don’t need to ask Nikole what she wants; she won’t eat it anyway!” And then they’d cackle. It was only after I started gaining weight (due to resuming my alcoholic drinking!) that they were nice-ish to me. And by “they”, of course I mean other women.

Load More Replies...
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