Lizzo shuts down weight loss criticism: “I never want to be thin”

Image Source: Getty/Dimitrios Kambouris/MTV/Paramount Global Unfortunately, we still live in a world where criticism of fatness is ubiquitous. After years of receiving unsolicited comments about her body, Lizzo makes one point abundantly clear: she doesn’t intend to be thin. On May 15, Lizzo sewed a video from TikTok creator @tiffriahgrande, seeking out fellow fat people who are exercising for health rather than weight loss. “Heavy on not trying to escape fatness. Heavy. F*cking. On,” says Lizzo.

Since she went vegan in 2020 and changed her exercise routine, the singer has lost some weight. This has led internet trolls to wonder if she’s trying to shake off the fat label she and so many of her fans identify with. For Lizzo, who has always spoken out about uplifting bodies of all sizes, these accusations couldn’t be further from the truth. “I think a lot of people see a fat person that way and immediately assume whatever they’re doing is thin,” she says. “I’m not trying to be thin. I never want to be thin.”

For the Grammy winner, exercise isn’t about losing weight. Rather, she says it’s a means of preparing her body and mind for what is often unrecognized as a physically demanding career. “I have a very high-quality job,” she tells fans in the video. “For 90 minutes a night I have to choreograph; I have to sing; I have to dance; I have to rap; and I have to play the flute; and I have to emote and hype a crowd in very tight clothes. Sometimes clothes [that] restrict my breathing.”

Lizzo says she loves her job, but she also points out that it takes “a lot of physical stamina to do what I do.” Trying to run across the stage, performing note after note of her vocally demanding discography and delivering impeccable choreography without training would be like running a marathon without practice. She also enjoys exercise and sees the practice as a way to take care of her mind and body holistically. “I’ve always loved moving my body; I’ve always loved sports,” she says.

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While Lizzo acknowledges that her body can fluctuate in size over time, she clarifies that the only changes she’s concerned with is maintaining a balanced mental and emotional well-being. “Exercise helped me change my mind, not my body,” she says, noting that increased endorphins have boosted her self-esteem.

“My body is going to change,” she continues. “Everybody’s body changes. That’s life. That’s what human existence is, human experience.” She adds that physical changes are natural, and accepting that change is inevitable is key. “Everything I eat, everything I do, every time I move my body is all for this,” she says, pointing to her head. “Because if this isn’t happy, none of this is happy.”