Body image is an issue of concern for many Chinese female celebrities. Their weights and sizes are always popular topics of discussions. As public figures, they are constantly under pressure to maintain perfect bodies. Recently, a Taiwanese program thoroughly discussed A-mei’s (張惠妹) dramatic weight gain, which angered many of the pop queen’s fans. The fans complained that the program was disrespectful towards A-mei, and the hosts of the program had to issue a public apology as a result. Many fellow celebrities came forth to express their support for A-mei. May Chan Does Not Mind Others Talking About Her Weight Inbound Troubles <老表，你好嘢！> star May Chan (陳嘉佳), who is known for her obese image, said she hopes A-mei did not get offended by the program, but since A-mei is an extremely popular artiste in Asia, May said she understood why her fans were so protective. May herself admitted that she has been struggling with her own weight her whole life. “If others talked about my weight, I personally would not feel too offended. It really isn’t anything to me. If I were offended, I would have lost all that weight a long time ago!” May said she is currently on a healthy diet. “Since the first time I filmed dramas until now, I’ve lost 20 pounds. I moved a little more and ate a little less. I can easily lose some weight in a few weeks. All of my colleagues have said that I look skinnier. I’m so happy!” Joyce Cheng Opposes Weight Discrimination Singer Joyce Cheng (鄭欣宜) struggled with obesity throughout her childhood and early teens. Unlike May, Joyce said the Taiwanese program was discriminating against fat people, expressing that a person’s weight should have nothing to do with the person’s ability to sing. “A-mei is already a pop queen. She has a great voice, has great songs, and those things have nothing to do with her body. They need to take responsibility for their words. We should not judge a book by its cover. We should use our ability to prove to others. I support A-mei.” Beauty Queen Christine Kuo’s Weight Scrutinized Christine Kuo (苟芸慧) understands the pressure of body image and weight management, expressing that the program went too far in discussing about A-mei’s weight. She said that if the topic of discussion did not benefit the matter, then the hosts should back off. “It makes the person who is being talked about unhappy, and that makes the person’s close friends and family unhappy too.” Last year, Christine admitted that she was suffering from hypothyroidism, which led her to packing on extra pounds. Christine’s heavier image affected her career status, and she was faced with media scrutiny. “My fans were worried about me too, but I know what my body is like. I know how to face it. However, before I knew about [her sickness], I was really worried and felt helpless. As a public figure, these issues are stressful.” Leon Lai Said Janice Vidal Was Fat In addition to Christine, Amusic artiste Janice Vidal (衛蘭) also suffered media backlash for her weight gain during her hiatus. Janice’s mentor Leon Lai (黎明) had pointed out before that that Janice was “even fatter than a motorcycle”, which reportedly inspired Janice to lose weight as soon as possible. In a recent MV filming, a much skinnier Janice shared some behind-the-scenes photos on set. However, some netizens pinpointed that Janice still needed to lose some fat in her stomach. Creds: Oriental Daily
