During an appearance on The Jennifer Hudson Show, hitmaker Bebe Rexha responded to online speculation about her body. The singer discussed her diagnosis of PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome) and shared that her experience led to a 30-pound weight gain. While Rexha was happy to spread awareness about the condition, she also firmly stated that her body was no one else’s concern.
“We’re in the public eye, so that’s bound to happen, especially since I was a lot thinner and I did gain some weight. But that just comes with the territory,” Rexha shared with Hudson. “You don’t know what somebody’s going through...you don’t know what they’re experiencing in their life.”
In response to online negativity, Rexha mentioned that she has a healthy appetite but attributed her weight gain to PCOS, a condition that many women, including herself, are unaware of. “A girl like me likes to eat, okay,” she jokingly said. “There’s nothing wrong with that. Last year, I went to the doctor, and they diagnosed me with PCOS, which is polycystic ovary syndrome. It’s one of the leading causes of weight gain and obesity in women. I gained around 30 pounds very quickly, maybe even a little more.”
What is PCOS?
PCOS is a hormonal disorder that affects reproductive-aged women and involves imbalanced levels of sex hormones, resulting in irregular menstrual cycles, excess androgen production, and multiple small cysts on the ovaries. Symptoms can include irregular periods, heavy bleeding, acne, weight gain, hair thinning or excess hair growth (hirsutism), and fertility issues. It is estimated that approximately 5-10 percent of women of childbearing age have PCOS, making it one of the most common endocrine disorders. However, due to lack of awareness and the variety of symptoms, many women remain undiagnosed.
Despite being open about her diagnosis, Rexha emphasized that discussing other people’s weight is outdated. “I feel like we’re in 2023, and we should not be talking about people’s weight,” she told Hudson. We couldn’t agree more.
