Healthy in Hollywood? Famous actors often forget health in effort to look thin

Wednesday, June 22, 2011 by: Kas McNally
Tags: Hollywood, health, health news

(NaturalNews) It is expected for Hollywood actors and celebrities to do whatever it takes to be a perfect ten. Whether it's eating nothing but saltines, working out five hours a day or a little nip and tuck, you have to wonder if it's really healthy or just harmful.

Well-known hotties like Gerard Butler and Jake Gyllenhaal seem to stay fit with a good workout routine. Butler's been seen lately hitting the gym while Gyllenhaal was spotted jogging last week in the Hollywood Hills with Michael Pena, the co-star of his next film.

Some celebrities have been struggling to stay fit but keep landing on either end of the scale, leaving them vulnerable to critics. LeAnn Rimes who has recently been criticized for being anorexic, has finally vented her frustration on her website. "I don't deny that there are people around the world with real problems such as bulimia, anorexia, or binge eating. But I'm talking about our obsession as a society with body image and how it has started to control and tear our lives apart," says Rimes. She adds, "What no woman or man needs is anyone telling them they are too fat or too skinny. That just adds to the many stereotypes out there about a person's weight."

Other stars are doing all they can to lose weight and keep it off. Kirstie Alley, well-known for her weight fluctuations, had just gotten down to a healthy weight by keeping to 2000-calorie-a-day diet and dancing seven hours a day while working on Dancing with the Stars, but reports are already surfacing that she's quickly fallen back into old habits. There's no doubt it doesn't help that she's in New York, where you can get the best dim sum or pizza or cupcakes at that little store down the street at any time of the day or night.

In L.A., it's not unheard of to gain from weight loss. American Idol's Jennifer Hudson is about to make a lot of money from her mega weight reduction - having just signed a deal with Dutton to publish a memoir on how she went from a size 16 to a size 6 and lost 80 lbs. She talks about her "experience growing up in an environment where healthy living was not a priority." Hudson's goal is to inspire others dealing with weight issues and share some helpful tips.

Still, it's hard to take any of Hollywood's struggles seriously when you've got guys like Rob McElhenney, creator and co-star of It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia, who decided to gain 50 lbs. just because he thinks it will make his character funnier. Funny? Perhaps... but healthy? Fat chance, Hollywood!