Drastic Times Call For Drastic Measures

.... Or do they?

Recently I read a post on Gourmet Runner about a trainer who has gained over 70 lbs, on PURPOSE, as part of his year long program called Fit 2 Fat 2 Fit.  He's doing this so he can better relate to his clients who are trying to lose larger amounts of weight.

While most of her commenters had written him off as crazy, there were also those who saw the value in his "experiment".  However, majority stated loud and clear that while this may be a valuable lesson, it is irresponsible to put your body through something this extreme, in the name of credibility.

After reading her post it got me thinking about all the celebs who have lost/gained weight all in the name of "commitment" to their profession.  Isn't it similar to what that guy is doing?

Check out this pick of Matt Damon that I found on the internets:

Matt lost about 50 pounds for the role of a heroin addict in Courage Under Fire.  Matt admitted that he went too far and eventually had to be on medication for years to combat the effects on his adrenal glands.  However, he still thought it was worthwhile.

Or how about this actress from one of my all time favorite movies ever:

She went from a size 6 to a size 14 for her role as Bridget Jones in Bridget Jones' Diary. She basically ate whatever she wanted and indulged every craving.  However, she says that the diet, both to gain and to lose weight, was "horrible".

Not that this is anything new.  Robert DeNiro gained about 60lbs for his role in Raging Bull in the 80s!

This is all so perplexing to me.  I struggled to lose weight most of my life.  And yet there are people who are losing and gaining large amounts of weight all in the name of "commitment to their art".  I understand the damage I'm doing to my body when I gain weight.... I can't understand why someone would sacrifice their own body, the only one we're issued in life, in order to be successful.

I want to lose weight so that I can be healthy and content.  When I gain weight, I know I'm not living a healthy lifestyle and I am not content with that at all.  And I would never want to be soooo skinny that I put my health at risk.

I have finally found myself at a point in my life where I want to be healthy for the sake of being healthy.  I want to be in a healthy weight range to primarily be a healthy example for my friends and family and secondarily to build my self esteem.  I'd be lying if I said I only wanted to lose weight for the health benefits.  I have some vanity as well but it isn't as big of an issue for me.

I guess the reason this all struck a chord with me is that while these celebrities may be celebrated for their commitment to their industry and their weight loss before/after a role, it's unhealthy and irresponsible.

But that's their choice, I guess.  Their body, their decisions.

I just hope that the people who admire them don't follow blindly in their footsteps.