Mindy Kaling Says Scrutiny Over Her Appearance Is ‘Never a Joy’
LOS ANGELES — Mindy Kaling said she understands why fans react when celebrities change their appearance, but she does not enjoy being scrutinized over her weight loss.
The actress, writer and producer, who rose to fame on “The Office,” told Bustle that public attention around her body has been uncomfortable at times.
“It’s sometimes no fun when one of your favourite actors loses weight. You have an idea of what they were like when you grew attached to them, and it made them endear themselves to you,” Kaling said. “Of course, it’s never a joy to be scrutinised, but also I truly understand it, as someone who consumes pop culture.”
Kaling said her weight-loss efforts were not primarily about vanity, but about improving her long-term health.
“Do I wake up every day being like, ‘I look amazing and I’m so gorgeous’? No, unsurprisingly, but I truly feel so healthy,” she said.
She said family health history has influenced her approach.
“When I was younger, I would want to lose weight because of vanity reasons. Now I want to lose weight or have lost weight because I want to stave off things like diabetes. I had it on both sides of my family, and trying to avoid those kinds of things will, I think, help longevity for me, and that’s my goal,” Kaling said.
Kaling has also spoken in the past about skincare and representation, saying she feels fortunate to be celebrated for her dark brown skin.
“I’ve always struggled with hyper-pigmentation and I’m always trying to find products that help with my acne scars and dark spots, but that don’t also change my skin tone,” she told Allure.
“I feel incredibly lucky that I’m someone who’s celebrated for my dark brown skin. And I did not want to change that,” Kaling said. “And so this is something that just really works for me. So that’s why I came on as an investor, not just as an ambassador or whatever. And I just selfishly wanted in on their success and I was lucky that they found room for me.” (Source: IANS)
