Move over Beyonce, because Rihanna is showing equally booty-licious curves. And you'd better shake a leg too, Tina Turner. Rih-Rih is giving you some competition in thighs and is proud to do so. The "Umbrella" singer is rejoicing with boobs and a butt after scary "anorexic" weight loss. What's up with Rihanna's weight gain? Don't know, don't care, say Twitter fans--they're just delighted that "Thickanna" is back.
Rihanna's weight loss troubles
The singer born Robyn Rihanna Fenty has always had trouble keeping weight on. In 2012, she agonized over inexplicable weight loss in an interview with Ryan Seacrest.
RiRi professed annoyance at losing weight. Like Sarah Hyland of "Modern Family," she denies having anorexia. She does admit to the unavoidable "eating disorder" of a crazy performance schedule. With Hollywood's weight obsession, it's rare to find a celebrity who wants to gain rather than lose. But, Rihanna loves her big butt and she cannot lie. When a social media follower inquired whether she was gaining she happily tweeted at making #progress on "#operationThickanna."
RiRi launches "get thick" campaign
Far from fat-shaming, Twitter fans exulted in the Barbadian's cushier body. Now, some have decided that this is their go-ahead to do likewise, in solidarity. Is the 29-year-old encouraging others to gain weight?
Is she advocating obesity? It doesn't seem like it. People vary on how much weight they feel comfortable with. Twitter images of Rihanna show that she is arguably overweight. Her thighs and buttocks could be said to be carrying too much body fat for her BMI (body mass index).
Clearly obesity is as dangerous than anorexia but the scale may not be the best indicator of either.
It also doesn't measure health factors. Most everyone is healthy within a 25-lb range above or below normal weight. A few thrive at more overweight or underweight. Physicians like Dr. Oz says people are better off accepting size so long as it's in the safe zone, rather than micromanaging the exact number.
Is big body love a cultural thing?
A few Yahoo readers tried to turn Rihanna's weight into a racial thing. Commenter "Samantha" jibed that it's only okay to be "thick if you are a woman of color," but white women are "ostracized for looking "fat" if they have curves." Oprah and other black women advocate body love regardless of size, but so do many white women. The polarity has been in size more than color.
Stores like Victoria's Secret have always catered to thin women. Now, even Sports Illustrated Swimsuit is featuring plus-size models like Ashley Graham and Ashley Nell Tipton. And women of all sizes and skin tones are applauding. The comment did spark discussion of what is considered attractive. And regardless of color, most men said that they preferred a chunkier girl to a skinny or anorexic one.
