Infinitely charming, captivatingly funny, impressively graceful, weighs 180 kg! Those who have already seen Whitney Thore will easily recognize her in this description, but the rest should get to know the girl who gave hope and inspiration to those who suffer from excess weight, and who succeeded in show business in spite of all obstacles..

April 22, 2015 · Text: recorded by Olga Kulakova· Photo: TLC, Twitter

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Whitney Thore suffered for ten long years from the fact that, with her excess weight, she could not become invisible. But I understood myself and realized that kilograms should not stand between a person and his dream. Now Whitney is a celebrity

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If ten years ago Whitney Thore had been told that she would become a discovery in show business and would successfully lead a social movement against discrimination against fat people, most likely, the girl would have considered this another ridicule. And she got a lot of them: in high school, the promising dancer began to gain weight and turned from the pride of the school into an outcast. “I felt like a participant in a social experiment - one of those where you send me walking around the city,” recalls Thor.

It turned out that the American woman suffers from a hormonal disease, one of the complications of which is obesity, which does not respond to either diet or physical activity. In an attempt to escape from people who remember her as thin and cannot forgive her for not being that way now, Whitney spent several years on the road; worked in Korea and Ireland.

All this time she did not give up trying to lose weight, but every time a hormonal imbalance brought back the kilograms she had lost with such difficulty, and even with an “addition”.

In another attempt to deal with her changed life and get used to her new body, Whitney started blogging with thoughts about why overweight people should not dwell on their shortcomings and use it as an excuse for failures and inaction.

To back up her motivating posts with action, the girl resumed her dancing classes. Together with her longtime partner Todd Beasley, she recorded several videos for the channel, which she gave a direct, unflattering name - “Fat Girl Dancing.” And one morning I woke up famous - one of the videos went viral literally overnight. Internet users were shocked by how gracefully a girl of impressive dimensions moves to the sounds of Jason Derulo's hit!

Many become “stars for an hour,” but Whitney Thore managed to take advantage of the chance literally to the fullest - probably because she didn’t just want popularity, but was eager to remind the world that fat people are not a different kind of people, and efforts and success are more important than appearance kind.

website: Whitney, what role has working on the program “My Complete Life” played in your life, and what kind of reaction to the show do you expect from the audience?

Whitney Thore: The program is a look at my life from the inside. I'm known as the dancing fatty of the Internet, but I don't just dance, I have a lot of different things going on. I think that obese women especially suffer from problems in the romantic sphere, and so, I am no exception. I have a friend who I really like, and we date and then break up, and it goes on and on...

And also, for example, I'm 31 years old, and I recently had to move back to live with my parents, and it was difficult in many ways.

“I have a wonderful mom and dad, but they often pressured me to lose weight because they thought it would be the solution to all my problems and would make me happy. If I answered that I didn’t consider weight loss the most important thing in my life, they really didn’t like it.”

I complained to my dad about being treated poorly, and his reaction was the usual: “You know you can’t change society, but you can change yourself.” But now that I've done a lot and achieved something, my dad came to me and said, Whitney, I think you can really change the world. It was one of the most significant moments in my life.

This is the first time I’m telling a huge audience about such personal things, and in general I had to do a lot for the first time for the program. For the first time in 10 years I returned to teaching dance, for the first time in 20 years I went to the beach. On the one hand, I was very happy to step outside my comfort zone, but at the same time, now I weigh more than I ever weighed before. And I have new problems and new experiences. I hope all this will evoke reciprocal emotions in the audience.

website: You were once a slender girl with the fit figure of a dancer, and then illness made you rapidly gain weight. How did you experience it?

W.T.: It was the most difficult thing I have ever experienced. But when I was thin, they still laughed at me because I had an eating disorder (when Whitney did not yet know about the diagnosis, she tried to fight excess weight on her own, which led her to bulimia. - Note website). And it shows how cruel people are in our society, and how harsh we are on women when it comes to their bodies.

“I was gaining weight so quickly that I simply didn’t have time to understand what was wrong with me. I remember how I constantly touched door frames, furniture, I had terrible bruises and abrasions on my body, because it increased in volume so quickly that I was not aware of my place in space.”

Now I think this is a wonderful metaphor, reflecting the fact that I did not understand my place in society. I felt like every pound I gained made me less valuable and I lost all self-love. So the hardest part was figuring out how to overcome that and realize that I have more to offer the world than just my looks.

website: At some point you decided that since you can’t lose weight, you should stop worrying about it and accept yourself for who you are. How is your relationship with your own body now and how does the disease continue to affect it?

W.T.:I have a very positive and loving attitude towards my body. I can even admit that I love my body now more than ever. The sight of my nakedness does not scare me, I consider myself beautiful, I have learned to take better care of myself. At one time, I went through all the circles of losing weight - I worked out in the gym for hours, and went on diets, but there was no point, so now I just eat what I want - including fried, fatty and sweet foods. Unable to overcome my weight, I became friends with him.

Polycystic ovary syndrome forced me to constantly take a bunch of medications, mostly hormonal. This is a medicine prescribed for pre-diabetic conditions and helps regulate insulin levels, and a medicine that regulates hair growth, and I also take contraceptives so that, however, my menstrual cycle has not normalized, which is very sad.

“There are aspects associated with the syndrome that I am not even able to analyze and understand, because they are associated not with the rational, but with the hormonal reaction of my body. I recently read a book that talked about the connection between polycystic ovarian syndrome and depression, and also a state similar to semi-lethargy where you constantly feel tired and fall asleep, and that’s what I’m experiencing.”

Although I am very happy with what is happening in my life, my mood can change greatly, I get very tired, and I don’t feel truly rested for a single minute of the day. But I love that I'm back to doing a lot of activities and dancing, it gives me joy and protection.

website: You once said that people can’t stand it when they see a fat, happy woman.

W.T.: People are accustomed to thinking that fat people are unhappy mumblers who can evoke either pity or contempt, so the image of a happy, fat person evokes negativity. People can’t wrap their heads around how he, so fat, has the audacity to laugh - he needs to cry! Yes, this irritates many people.

website: ... and among these people is your channel colleague Katie Hopkins. Have you seen Katie's show? Have you met her?

W.T.: Of course, I’m familiar with (Hopkins deliberately gained weight and then lost it to prove that the only causes of obesity are gluttony and laziness. - note.. Of course, with more weight it is harder to move, travel, communicate with friends, and so on, therefore, most often fat people choose a sedentary lifestyle, delighting themselves exclusively with unhealthy fatty foods. But, knowing myself, I can say that fat people can be active and eat not only fast food.

“Peculiarities of appearance and lifestyle are a matter of human choice, and putting a stigma on everyone who does not fit into generally accepted standards is overkill.”

It is possible that if Katie and I met, I would be able to convince her, but I don’t see the point in doing this in absentia. Everything that happened to me is not a secret, and anyone who is interested in my point of view can find out my story and draw their own conclusions.

website: Or meet those supported by your No Body Shame movement (“Don’t be ashamed of your body”).

W.T.: Yes, I came up with the “Don’t be ashamed of your body” campaign myself, or rather, it originated from my blog. I started keeping an online diary to share my feelings about being fat. In addition, I hosted a program on a radio station in my hometown, and it was on the air that I spoke out loud for the first time about my obesity. This helped me analyze my feelings about this, and as a result, I understood myself very well and understood how I really feel about many important things.

First, the blog became popular, then the channel’s video “Fat Girl Dancing” turned into an Internet hit, and everyone started asking me to talk about myself, about my views on my body, my fatness as if it were already part of some movement. And I had a choice: start a full-fledged campaign or not start; and I decided that I would try. Now “Don't be ashamed of your body” is a public action designed to help various men and women live without feeling shame. Because I know from personal experience that shame is destructive, it paralyzed me and I lost ten years of my life because of shame, and I don’t want anyone else to undervalue themselves the way I did for years.

website: Let's return to the legendary video - a year ago it collected 7 million views and turned you into a star in the virtual space, changing your life. When you watch this recording today, what do you think about it?

W.T.: I love this video, it's amazing! Although I was a little sad when it became so popular. We installed it very quickly, without any perfectionism. I was a little surprised when the video started getting a huge number of views, and at first I thought “oh my God, if I had known, I would have done better,” but on the other hand, it’s even more fun.

“Things happen when we least expect them, and I know that things got better for me when I stopped feeling like a victim, when I decided to take control of my life.”

And this dance video is the best reflection of this approach, so I’m glad that so many people watched it. When I was younger, I dreamed of being a famous dancer or something like that, and I don't think that would have happened if I was skinny. And I find it very funny the way that life has chosen to make my dream come true.

website: What would you say are the main obstacles on the way to this dream?

W.T.: I had so many physical, psychological and emotional obstacles! But the biggest difficulty was trying to find my place among people. I felt worthless for so long and felt very sorry for all the people in my life, including my parents, my boyfriends, my friends, for what they got me. So I had to really rewire my brain to understand that I am a worthy person, that I deserve a lot, that I have the same right to be healthy and happy as every other person on this planet.

It took me a long time to truly believe it. But, on the other hand, purely practical problems have not gone away.

“I have already said that I have never weighed as much as I do now, and if you watch the program “My Full Life”, you will see how I encounter some difficulties in everyday life that you never thought about - for example , if I need to fasten my seat belt or fit in a chair, or shave all sides of my legs before a date.”

These are moments that cause a lot of awkwardness, but what I talk about them inspires me. Being open and honest is what I think the show accomplishes.

website: You embody an inspiring example of a positive attitude towards yourself, so bright that you are even sometimes accused of promoting obesity. Whitney, tell me - do you want to lose weight or have you closed this question for yourself forever?

W.T.: Do you think I would choose to live and dance at my current weight if I had a choice? Of course, I would like to lose weight, but in my current situation I cannot do it. A slender body is more flexible, beautiful, resilient, and with my kilograms I get tired much faster than if I were thin. Well, and ridicule, of course - without them I would live much better, because sometimes they look at me so much that I feel like a hippopotamus who went out for a walk.

website: Can you say that your excess weight and the events associated with it taught you something?

W.T.: Yes, this whole story changed me a lot. If I hadn't gained weight, I probably wouldn't have become a feminist, but I'm a crazy feminist now. If I hadn't gained weight, I wouldn't have learned as much as I do now about myself and other people.

“If I hadn't gained weight, I would have relied on my appearance to give me value. But when my appearance lost its value to the outside world, I had to look deeper into myself.”

It also allowed me to empathize with others in a way I couldn’t before. Because I was a fairly wealthy and relatively attractive white girl, I was not part of any minority. But when you become part of a socially excluded group, you learn to put yourself in other people's shoes. This is useful.

Whitney Way Thor

34-year-old Whitney Way Thore, star of TLC's "My Full Life," became popular after posting an incendiary video on the microblog, which she called "Dancing Fatty." However, Russian netizens became familiar with the name of this native of Greensboro (North Carolina), who is fighting discrimination based on excess weight, only after the release of the scandalous “Tanuki” advertisement.

According to the authors' idea, the photo depicted two girls with different figures. One of them ate at Tanuki, and a photo of the second, larger model (talking about Thor), was accompanied by the inscription “After going to Go-Go Pizza.” Users did not appreciate the “creative” and accused the company of fat shaming. Adding fuel to the fire was the fact that Whitney was diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome, one of the possible manifestations of which is severe obesity.

the site tells the girl’s story, and the obstetrician-gynecologist and reproductive specialist explains what is special about this disease and how it affects weight gain.

On February 14, a still from the “Your Girlfriend Tonight” advertising campaign appeared on the Tanuki network’s Facebook. It depicts two representatives of the fair sex: one of plus-size size - “after going to go-pizza”, the other with a model appearance - “after going to Tanuki”. Less than an hour later, hundreds of comments with accusations accumulated under the post in sexism, body shaming and disrespect for women. Three hours later, the unfortunate post was deleted and replaced by an apology, but the aftertaste, as they say, remained...

Our dear users, subscribers and guests, we apologize for the inappropriate creativity. We admit that we went too far. We wanted to be provocative, but the sense of proportion left us. We especially want to emphasize that we did not know about Whitney Thore's illness and in no way wanted to offend people with health problems. Forgive us please. We won't do this again!

One of the heroines of the advertising campaign, without knowing it, was Whitney Way Thore. She dances, makes mega-popular videos all over the world, participates in the filming of her own program on the TLC channel “My Full Life,” and also runs the NoBodyShame social movement, which supports and protects overweight people.

One of the fans wrote to Whitney what she thought about the careless advertising.
I think this is complete nonsense. After all, I eat sushi too! she responded on Twitter.

Whitney, by the way, began filming videos of her dancing back in 2014.

And soon after, she received an email from TLC offering her her own show.
I was thin until I was 18 years old. And it’s funny to say this now, because at that time I felt fat, I always thought that I was not thin enough. I had eating disorders from the age of twelve until I went to college. I struggled with bulimia and anorexia. I practically stopped doing everything I loved.

I began to feel ashamed of myself because of my weight and even vomited after eating. When I turned 18, I began to gain weight very quickly. I gained about 23 kilograms. It was like a social experiment where you put on a fat man's suit and go for a walk around the city to see how others would react. Guys who had recently considered me an attractive young woman began to pass by. Literally overnight, my whole life changed dramatically.

Disease

Thor was diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), which caused such severe obesity.

Lyubov Vinogradova, obstetrician-gynecologist, reproductive specialist, candidate of medical sciences at the Central Institute of Clinical Culture:

Other signs of this disease include: hyperandrogenism (increased levels of male hormones), hirsutism (increased hair growth), absence of a normal menstrual cycle or absence of independent menstruation, multifollicular ovaries according to ultrasound, enlarged ovaries, acne may develop.

The expert explained that insulin resistance is a condition in which the concentration of insulin in the blood plasma increases compared to physiological values ​​for the existing glucose concentration. As a result, this provokes obesity and a high risk of hypertension. The doctor is confident that if you adjust your diet, understanding your predisposition and the characteristics of your body, such severe metabolic syndrome can be avoided.

According to the clinical recommendations of the US Department of Health and the Endocrine Society (Endocrine Society), such people should reduce their food intake and increase physical activity. These are mandatory conditions for the treatment. Patients with a body mass index > 30 kg/m2 or a body mass index > 27 kg/m2 in the presence of at least one of the following complications are subject to pharmacotherapy (medicine treatment): hypertension, dyslipidemia, type 2 diabetes mellitus, OSA (general adaptation syndrome) . If the body mass index is more than 40 kg/m2 or 35 kg/m2 in the presence of complications associated with obesity, bariatric surgery is recommended. Moving to Korea

After graduating from college, Thor moved to Korea, where she began teaching English. There the girl faced real discrimination. She lived in Daegu for four years, and every day people on the street would point and laugh at her. When she got into a taxi, the driver could calmly ask her about her weight, or about her favorite food, or simply grunt in greeting.

This encouraged Thor to lose weight when she returned home to America, but in fact her condition only worsened. When, after a grueling workout, someone drove by and called her fat, the girl realized that she was trying to make other people happy, not herself. Since then, Thor has focused on being comfortable in her own skin.

Sport

Whitney destroys the stereotypes that plus-size models are not frequent guests in the fitness room. She works out with Ryan Andreas, who created her No BS Active daily workout program (it lasts only 24 minutes).
I said I don't want to focus on losing weight, I don't want to weigh myself after every workout, I just want to workout. And for the first time in my entire life, I actually lost weight without much effort. Now I exercise because it makes me feel good. It literally changed my whole life. And that's the message I want to convey to people. Exercising isn't just about weight loss, it also has many other benefits.

Attitude towards yourself

There are those who take the word "fat" as an insult, but Whitney Way Thore is definitely not one of them.

My attempt to become a healthier person is an attempt to get rid of the idea that fat women are inherently bad, and that the word “fat” is an adjective with negative connotations, like lazy and ugly. I finally realized that I don't believe in it anymore. I want to continue using this word so that it becomes more common. The fact is that we do not believe that fat women can be happy, but these are two completely unrelated things.

About fame

Being recognized is definitely difficult. I feel pressured to always say and do the right thing - which of course I don't do. It's easy to say the right things in an interview, but not when cameras are following you all day! The hardest thing is dealing with judgmental people who have seen ten hours of your life and think they know everything about you.

Instagram photo

She had no intention of becoming a voice for the body positivity movement. Just two years ago, her cherished goal was to get rid of hundreds of kilograms in order to bring her figure in line with standards. Actually, until the age of 18, Whitney was a slender girl and loved to dance. But in her first year of college, something strange happened: she suddenly began to rapidly gain weight and gained 45 kg in a year.

She gave up dancing, fell into depression and gained even more weight - up to 140 kg. A couple of years later, doctors found the reason for such a drastic change - the girl was diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome. The desire to lose weight became an obsession for Whitney. She graduated as a Zumba (dance fitness) instructor, started working at a local radio station in North Carolina, and continued to struggle with her weight... until she posted the "Dancing Fat Girl" video on Youtube. This act radically changed her future.

Whitney Thore tells Psychologies how she managed to not only step over stereotypes, but also begin to destroy them.

Psychologies: How did you feel when you suddenly turned from a skinny dancer into a very plump woman?

Whitney Thore: For a long time I could not understand what was wrong with me. I remember how I touched door frames, furniture and had terrible bruises and abrasions on my body: my body increased in volume so quickly that I simply was not aware of myself in space. And you know, this is a wonderful metaphor, reflecting the fact that I did not understand my place in society, it seemed to me that with every pound I gained, I was losing my value.

I couldn’t come to terms with the new perception of myself; I seemed lazy and disgusting. And in the end I just stopped living. Although, if you remember... After all, I was ashamed of my body even when I was slim. I was made fun of for not being thin enough, which resulted in me becoming bulimic. This shows how people in our society are cruel to women when it comes to their bodies.

And then you found out about your diagnosis. How has he influenced your life?

Polycystic ovary syndrome is an endocrine disorder that is quite common: in America, it is detected in every tenth woman. This syndrome has a number of symptoms, and you may have some or none. One of the symptoms I have had to deal with is insulin resistance, which leads to sudden and drastic weight gain and an inability to lose it.

In addition, my menstrual cycle is disrupted, and the chances of getting pregnant are still minimal. I also have a testosterone level that is too high for a woman, which leads to increased growth of facial hair, and on the other hand, to rapid baldness. These are just some of the problems I struggle with.

Why am I ashamed of my body: it’s not my fault that I got sick and fat

Mood swings and chronic fatigue are also associated with this hormonal imbalance. It seems to me that I never get a good rest. But even more dangerous is that this disorder carries a risk of heart disease, diabetes and depression. And so in order to avoid many health problems in the future, it is very important that I actually lose some weight.

And that's why you decided to start dancing again?

I returned to dancing in 2011 and lost 45 kg in 8 months. And then I gained back the same weight again, and that’s when I started thinking. Why am I ashamed of my body? After all, it’s not my fault that I got sick and put on weight. I eat less than my peers and spend hours on the dance floor - yes, I'm fat, but why should that stop me from living my life to the fullest? I realized that I don’t want to throw my life away again, that I need to continue dancing, because it makes me truly happy. It was then that I decided to take dancing seriously and posted a video on the Internet that changed my life.

How did the idea for this video come about?

I did a program on our local radio, where for the first time I decided to speak out loud and publicly about my weight and my experiences associated with it. And at the same time, I started writing a blog where I shared my feelings about stereotypes and prejudice against fat people. And they wrote to me in the comments: “Tell me more about your campaign.” But I had a very ordinary blog!

I was faced with a choice: did I want to start an official campaign, and I decided that my answer was yes! This is how the “Don’t be ashamed of your body” project arose. This is precisely a campaign whose task is to help men and women live without the burden of shame. Because I knew from my own experience: shame is debilitating and paralyzing. Because of him, I lost ten years of my life. And I don't want anyone else to underestimate themselves for as long as I have all these years.

I wanted to create an image of a happy and accomplished person with a lot of weight

I started recording my dance videos and posting them on Youtube under the “Dancing Fatty” section, and it had a liberating effect. I received a lot of positive feedback and began to understand what an important role I had taken on - I became the voice of those fat women who are still embarrassed about their bodies.

I wanted to create an image of a happy and accomplished person with a lot of weight, yes - and such a positive image is not often seen in the media. After all, our stereotype of perceiving an overweight person is too stable - he is either a comic character, or an object of ridicule, or a participant in another “weight loss” TV show. So my blog and my participation in TLC's My Full Life program, I think, breaks that stereotype and shows that there is something more to me besides being overweight.

Your first dance video received over 7 million views in a year. Didn't you expect such an effect?

It's just a fairy tale. It's a pity that we released it too raw and unfinished. When it became popular, I thought: oh damn, if I had known, I would have made it better. But on the other hand, it’s still good that it turned out so funny and natural. In general, the most important events in life happen when you least expect them.

My life changed when I stopped feeling like a victim

Over the course of this year, I have heard the opinions of so many people. And it’s interesting that there were no fewer responses from women with anorexia than from fat women. Men write, older people and young people write - from all over the world, with a variety of problems. Literally every day I receive these responses and feel like I am helping people. When I was younger and weighed 58 kg, I could only dream of becoming such a famous dancer. And I don't think this could have happened to me when I was thin.

It’s funny, of course, how funny life has found a way to make my dreams come true. I think everything in my life changed the moment I stopped feeling like a victim and decided to take life into my own hands. And this video is a wonderful presentation of that moment.

What difficulties do you have to overcome?

There were and remain many of them. I had to seriously rewire my brain to understand that I am a worthy person, and I have the same right to be healthy and happy as every other person on this planet. And not just understand, but truly believe in it. But there were, of course, purely practical difficulties that did not disappear anywhere, because I have never weighed as much as I do now.

I have to deal with problems in my daily life that you wouldn't even think about, like how to fasten a seat belt, or how to fit in a chair, or how to reach the back of my legs to shave them before a date. These are moments that cause a strong feeling of awkwardness, but this is my choice, my decision: to be as open and honest as possible with the audience.

Who supported you in your fight against depression?

A couple of close friends and, of course, my family. I have wonderful parents, but their attitude towards what was happening changed over time. At first they encouraged me to lose weight because they thought it would solve all my problems and make me happy. And when I told my parents that losing 90 kg no longer interests me and doesn’t seem like the most important issue in my life, they didn’t like it at all.

It wasn't until my videos started to gain popularity and they saw the impact I could have on people that they started to truly understand my point of view and support me even more. It was one of the most significant moments in my life. Because before, when I complained to my father about ridicule and humiliation, he used to say: “Whitney, you know that society doesn’t like fat people, and you can’t change society, but you can change yourself.”

And a few days ago he came to me and said, “You know, Whitney, I've changed my point of view. I think you can actually change the world." And it’s incredible that my parents took such a new look at this whole situation.

How did this story change your attitude towards the world, towards yourself?

Has changed a lot. If I hadn't gained weight, I would still be relying solely on looks. But when it lost its value in the eyes of others, I had to look deeper into myself and understand what I really have to offer the world. I went from being someone who was self-conscious for so long and felt so alienated to someone who made others proud. I see that every time I appear in public, people want to communicate with me, tell stories about problems in their lives.

Don't focus on what makes you different from others

I began to empathize more with other people in a way I had never been able to do before. Because I was a fairly wealthy and relatively attractive white girl and not part of any minority. And when you become part of some socially alienated group, you involuntarily learn to identify with these people who are different from others, and as a result understand them better.

How has your attitude towards your body changed?

I don't think I've ever loved my body as much as I do today. I'm not afraid to look at myself naked, and I think I'm beautiful. I've learned to take better care of myself. I like to feel muscle fatigue after rehearsals; an active lifestyle makes me feel comfortable.

Where things are the worst is with regular sleep, because I'm a real night owl and don't like to go to bed at night. I also have strange eating habits - I can eat nothing all day until dinner and don’t follow any strict nutritional rules, which in my case is simply necessary.

What advice would you give to someone who doesn't like and is embarrassed about their body?

Try not to focus on what makes you different from others. Look inside yourself and focus on what makes you feel worthwhile. Remember that each of us has great potential, regardless of whether society values ​​us or not.

If you could meet any person - living or dead, or even fictional - who would it be?

I would like to meet Michael Jackson because he is the greatest dancer in history!

You often hear that every girl dreams of a slim figure. What if we say that there are those people who love their big body and chubby cheeks? Meet the charming, sweet, cheerful and attention-grabbing Whitney, who weighs 180 kg, but is liked by people. If you don’t know her yet, then you should correct this, as this person will teach you to love life and yourself. In addition, there are rumors that the host of the program “My Full Life,” hosted by Whitney Thore, is pregnant.

Whitney Thore became famous for her weight. She was once slim, but when she gained weight, her life changed. But the girl has natural charm and a huge charge of positivity, which attracts people to her. “Dancing Fatty,” as Whitney is called, is a true inspiration for those who can't love their looks and motivation for those who are afraid to start living life to the fullest.

Life before and after

Whitney is an ordinary American girl - "cheerful and plump." Let’s be honest, this is exactly how many people imagine American residents. And if you don’t know Whitney Thore, and therefore thought that there was nothing surprising in her completeness, then you are mistaken.

She did not always weigh more than 100 kg, but was a fairly slender girl. In her interviews, Whitney Thore said that at the age of 18, when she entered college, her weight began to increase sharply and from 58 kg. The scale needle moved to 120 kg.

The girl was not ready for such changes, and therefore she began to feel out of place, stopped taking care of herself and became depressed. She was later diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome. It was this disease that caused such a large weight gain. By this time, the number of kilograms had only increased.

"Full Life" by Whitney Thore

“The Dancing Fat Girl” is now known to many. She gained popularity thanks to the fact that she made a video with dance lessons, which she posted on YouTube, and here she was noticed. The video, titled “A Fat Girl Dancing,” went viral, gaining 8 million views. This video is still on Whitney's channel.

Along the way, the girl kept a blog in which she wrote that overweight people should not be afraid of their weight and move on with their lives.

Whitney Thore later became a TLC star and the main face of the show My Big Fat Fabulous Life. The program talks about Thor's simple life, her problems, attempts to lose weight, dance classes and personal life.

The reality show is quite popular, with 4 seasons already released. Here the girl tried to reveal a different side of herself, because many knew her as a fat girl who loves to dance. She also has her own page on Instagram, where Thor shares her photos from her life. Now everyone knows the dancing fatty Whitney Thore.

Reactions of family and friends

Whitney is often asked how people who knew her before her weight gain treated her. Parents, according to Thor, often told their daughter to lose weight. They thought that skinny Whitney would immediately become happy and not have any problems. But in this way, Thor admits, mom and dad only put pressure on her. After all, she herself tried to lose weight, went on diets, but due to illness, weight loss is very slow.

Whitney often encountered the fact that people are not used to seeing a happy, overweight person and this causes negativity in them. People around them perceive fat people as lazy and neglected people. The TLC star also faced this problem. But she dances and plays sports!

But she was supported by her parents, who believed in their daughter and said that she could really influence society and change their idea of ​​fat people.

Therefore, Whitney, realizing that she would not change her weight, learned to love her body. She returned to her dancing classes and began going out to the beach, not paying attention to the sidelong glances.

Another achievement was the founding of the No Body Shame campaign. This movement helps overweight people fight the embarrassment and shame that prevent them from living a normal life.

Personal life

Another problem that overweight people face is the lack of privacy. After all, many often say that due to excess weight such a person will not find a soul mate. Whitney has a boyfriend. In addition, in one of the programs there was news that the TV presenter may be expecting a child.

However, it soon became clear that the rumor was false. Whitney's illness affected the test, which was positive, but after visiting the doctor, she was convinced that she was not expecting a child. So Thor has not given birth and does not plan to in the near future. She believes that at 33 she is not yet ready to become a mother.

The girl says that many men love fat people. She says that she attracts men, but there are those who cannot admit how much they really like plump women. Therefore, Whitney will never pay attention to a person who will be embarrassed to introduce her to his family and friends.

Motivation from BBW Whitney

The girl struggled with herself for 10 years and learned to love her body. Her life includes numerous diets and dance classes. She is losing her weight very slowly and gradually.

Thor says that extra pounds make it difficult to live a normal life. Ordinary things become more difficult to do. It's harder to travel, dance, communicate with people and look in the mirror.

Whitney was able to talk about obesity on her blog and on the radio where she worked. Now she serves as an inspiration for those who are embarrassed about their body. The Internet star even posts photos of herself in a swimsuit because she considers herself attractive.

Having found strength in herself, Whitney admits that she has never loved herself as much as she does now. Just look at her: cheerful and energetic. Would you dare call her ugly? Of course not. And this is the result of a lot of work by Whitney Thore.

Someone says that the girl is promoting excess weight. This is not true at all. Whitney tries to support people and help them cope with this problem, which many are afraid to talk about.

Whitney Thore is a true example of how to treat yourself and your body. Every time she proves that you need to love yourself and not pay attention to other people’s negative opinions. Start working on yourself and don’t spend your life sitting on the couch, live your life to the fullest, in every sense.

170-pound dancer Whitney Thore: “Men love fat women, but are afraid to say it”

170-pound dancer Whitney Thore became famous overnight when she published a series of dance videos on YouTube in 2014. Now the “dancing fatty” not only leads the social movement No Body Shame, which opposes discrimination against fat people, but has also been the main character of the reality show “My Big Fat Fabulous Life” on the TLC channel for a season in a row. Whitney spoke about how she manages to enjoy every day, despite stereotypes, in an exclusive interview with HELLO.RU.

Whitney, when did you start gaining weight?

When I was 18 and starting college, I suddenly gained a lot of weight and very quickly. I didn’t know why this happened, I was very embarrassed about myself and didn’t go to the doctor. My life changed dramatically, and in one year I gained 100 pounds (about 45 kilograms - Ed.). When you're fat, you start to feel like an outcast, and it was at that moment that I stopped working out and taking care of myself, I was severely depressed. A few years later, in 2005, I was diagnosed with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS). I realized that this was the reason why I gained weight in the first place. By the time I realized this, I had already gained 200 pounds (about 90 kilograms - Ed.).

Whitney Thore - stages of growing up

How have you tried to lose weight?

I've been trying to lose weight my whole life, even when I was skinny. It just so happens that women are on a diet almost all the time, and, in my opinion, this is bad. But after I gained a lot of weight, I once managed to lose significant weight. I lost 100 pounds in six months in 2011. And then I typed them, which also happens quite often. Unfortunately, I thought too much about the number on the scale and was just trying to lose weight. So I took a not very healthy approach. I ate little and worked out 15 hours a week. This is not very good for your health. Now I try to eat something rich in nutrients, mostly home-cooked. This is a kind of rule: do not eat in cafes too often and try to cook yourself. I'm not a very good cook, so cooking is always a challenge for me.

Has people's attitude towards your new weight become a challenge?

When I gained weight, many people began to treat me as if I had become a different person. Of course, I was always Whitney, I was always an individual - with the same brain and the same heart, but when my body changed, people became very cruel to me. They thought I was either very lazy, very stupid, or a girl who had never had a boyfriend. And I myself began to believe their words, and I believed them for a long time. And how can you not believe it when I was the prom queen at school, and just a year later I became fat... To sum it up, I want to say: it took me years to become more confident in myself, to understand that I am me, no matter what my body looks like. I am still smart, funny and happy, and the shape of my body does not affect these qualities of mine.

How did your loved ones react to the fact that you became a girl in the body?

My family and friends didn't talk about it, but now I feel like it was a topic that needed to be discussed. It's a pity that no one encouraged me to go to the doctor and face this problem face to face. It took almost ten years before I was able to talk openly about my weight. I definitely haven't lost any friends. All my friends loved me no matter if I was fat or thin. I was very lucky in this sense.

Does your non-standard form prevent you from building relationships with men?

I have a boyfriend, his name is Lenny. Our relationship is the first time where my weight doesn't matter. This is the first time I feel truly loved for who I am, for my overall personality, not just for my body, but for my mind as well. In the third season of the show, you will see how my relationship with Lenny will develop, we will have to overcome some problems... I think overweight women do have special difficulties in relationships, but these are not at all the difficulties that everyone thinks about.

It seems to everyone that men are not attracted to fat girls. But no matter what size I was, men were always interested in me. The biggest problem is that many men who like plus-size women tend to be embarrassed about it because it's kind of taboo. I come across men who think I'm attractive, who really like me, but who probably won't date me because they're afraid of what other people will think of them. And this is sometimes very annoying.

As for me personally, I would never date a man who is so weak in spirit that he is embarrassed to introduce me to his parents. But I want plus-size women to understand that there are plenty of men who will love them and who will find them attractive. I know this because I experience them myself every day.

Don't you think that many people have a hard time believing that obese people can be absolutely happy at their weight?

I think it's true - most people don't believe that you can be fat and happy at the same time. We are taught from childhood that thinness is equal to happiness. This is definitely what they think in the States. I have traveled, and it seems to me that this is a very common point of view. But I categorically disagree with this point of view and am convinced: it is important to find happiness within yourself, without making it dependent on how you look.

Whitney Thore and her boyfriend Lenny

Have you ever been accused of promoting obesity?

This happens often and looks pretty stupid. I once spoke to an audience of 700 people and asked them, “How many of you watched the program?” Everyone raised their hands. “Which of you wanted to gain weight to be like or like me.” And of course there was not a single hand raised. I don't think people look at me and think, "I want to be like her, I want to gain weight so I can be like her." And what I am absolutely sure of is that hating your body will never bring you more than loving it. There is nothing wrong with losing weight or living a healthy lifestyle. But my main idea, the main idea of ​​my No Body Shame campaign is to love yourself first and everything else will come. You know, when I wanted to lose weight, I hated myself. And it was for this reason that I didn’t like dancing and taking care of myself. And now I value myself, and everything else has become much easier.

How much time do you spend in dance class now? And what are your hobbies besides dancing?

I teach dance once a week - these are the Big Girl Dance Class lessons that you can see in the program. Besides dancing, I like to read, I like to write. I just wrote a book, and it was a lot of work. I went back to the gym, started doing yoga - it's difficult, but I love a challenge. I still ride my bike and still love to go out - talk to people, go to concerts. This inspires me.

Which people inspire you?

In everyday life, my source of inspiration is my dad and mom - they are my main heroes, so compassionate and absolutely amazing. In addition, I really love the singer Adele. She is an important example for all plus size women. A great singer, so talented and so confident. She does not cheat on herself simply because she is famous, and does not “buy” into all these star stereotypes. I truly respect plus size women who become famous and stay plus size. I think it's cool.

It’s a common thing even for world-class stars and famous actors that they don’t like to see themselves on screen. Do you watch episodes of your reality?

I watch my own show so I know what other people are seeing. But it’s difficult to watch... I perceive myself normally on screen, but it’s a little strange to watch finished episodes after editing. For season three, for example, we shot probably a thousand hours of footage, and the show will only have nine hours. I would say the third season was the hardest to watch because I have a real life and this TV show is just a small part of it. But, of course, I watch it and laugh.

What programs, besides your own, do you like to watch?

I'm quite strange in this sense - I rarely watch TV. I like detective stories, so I watch Investigation Discovery. And I also like the Animal Planet channel because I love animals.

Whitney, you became famous thanks to YouTube. Are you familiar with the work of other people who became famous thanks to random videos on the Internet? For example, the “dancing millionaire” Gianluca Vacchi is especially popular now.

I don’t know Gianluca, but I’ll find him on the Internet when we finish our conversation. What's cool about the Internet is that every day there is someone new, something new. I really enjoy going on YouTube and watching talented dancers and even more talented athletes. We control the Internet ourselves, so we can find amazing people all over the world. The only thing you need to do is set up a search. It is wonderful.

Watch the new season of My Full Life on Thursdays at 10:00 pm on TLC.