Sarah Hyland finally opened up on her scary weight-loss after fans suggested anorexia or some other eating disorder. The truth behind the "Modern Family" star's anorexic look might surprise you. And what's more shocking is the cause of Hyland's revelations.
Sarah Hyland accused of promoting anorexia
The "Modern Family" actress blew up the Internet with images of herself on Instagram recently. Wearing an oversized anti-bullying T-shirt, Hyland showed very thin arms and legs. She didn't advocate any kind of diet and wasn't bragging up weight-loss.
It was just a random picture shared with fans. Yet the ABC actress was faulted just for posting it. Facebook and Twitter users diagnosed an eating disorder and blamed her for flaunting her slender frame and advertising anorexia. In a poignant blog post, the celebrity took a bite out of that notion.
Sarah Hyland defends weight-loss
The actress (who plays Haley Dunfey on "Modern Family") didn't explain her startling weight-loss but promised that it wasn't intentional. Hyland had a kidney transplant in 2012 and has been on bed rest for the last few months. She didn't say why, but hinted that "health problems" had caused a significant loss of body mass, mostly in muscle. She didn't specify whether these were physical, emotional, or mental health problems.
It could be a combination of issues. It's quite common to experience depression or PTSD-like symptoms after a major surgery or health scare.
'Modern Family' star goes after attackers
Hyland requested that fans respect her privacy until she's ready to explain her health situation. She made it clear that in no way was she anorexic or proud of being underweight.
There is no eating disorder blinding her to the fact that her legs are skinnier than most people's arms and that her head looks larger on her tiny body. The normally fit young woman admitted feeling heartbroken seeing her toned muscles dwindling. But regardless of the cause, the "Modern Family" star says folks have no right to shame her, just as they would have no right to shame an overweight person.
Sarah Hyland identifies thin-shaming paradox
Currently, it's trendy for celebrities to cry body-shaming (by which they mean fat-shaming). It's also trendy to embrace "big body love." Kim Kardashian was recently praised for sharing pictures of her cellulite and sagging plastic surgery butt lift. But Kim wasn't showing it off and is terrified of being obese. She's promoted dangerous ideas about diet and weight-loss. Hyland's thin-shaming proves that misunderstandings exist regarding weight gain too. Many assume underweight people must be anorexic. But, it can be just as difficult to gain weight as it is to lose weight, especially if you have a disease that prevents it.
