While body-shaming usually comes in the form of criticising those who have gained weight, this plus-sized model is being slammed for losing it.
Rosie Mercado used to be a size 34 but after dropping a massive 240lbs, she’s slimmed down to a size 12 to 14 – and she’s getting death threats for it.
She told TMZ:
I got hate mail – not so much from the other models, just fans that hated on me.
They told me to go jump off a bridge and kill myself for losing weight.
Rosie now weighs 170 pounds and is almost unrecognisable from her previous image.
But her weight loss isn’t simply to give into the ‘pressures of society’, as some have put it.
After being told by a flight attendant she was too big to fit in one seat and would need to buy another seat for the journey, Rosie decided to make a huge change in her lifestyle. She started exercising six days a week, but also got a gastric sleeve to help her body get rid of fat and later had a tummy tuck to remove her excess skin.
She added:
Because I guess everybody loves to be happy in their own weight. Some people love being overweight, some people don’t.
I think it’s a personal choice and you’ve just got to take it, there’s good and bad that comes with any life choice and changes so you know what?
You’ve just got to let it go and not pay attention to the negative remarks.
Do what you want, Rosie – you look great.
