This Victoria's Secret Model Was Told to Lose Weight. She Quit

New Delhi: A former Victoria's Secret 'Angel' has revealed that she quit the lingerie brand after being told to lose weight for shows - a jolting disclosure but one that really shouldn't surprise anybody anymore given that several models and actresses have been speaking out about struggling with bodyshaming and body image.

Erin Heatherton, who worked as a Victoria's Secret model for five years, told Time's motto that she was pressured to be thinner for her last shows in 2013. She said: "My last two Victoria's Secret shows, I was told I had to lose weight. I look back like, 'Really?'"

Now 27, Ms Heatherton told motto that she ate healthy and worked out twice a day but eventually her "body just wouldn't do it."

"I was really depressed because I was working so hard and I felt like my body was resisting me. And I got to a point where one night I got home from a workout and I remember staring at my food and thinking maybe I should just not eat," Ms Heatherton said.

Erin Heatherton quit Victoria's Secret after her final 2013 show because: "I realized I couldn't go out into the world-parading my body and myself in front of all these women who look up to me-and tell them that this is easy and simple and everyone can do this."

Some weeks ago, Ms Heatherton, who appeared in the Adam Sandler film Grown Ups 2, posted an Instagram note in which she writes "I am not perfect" and that she will no longer "hid behind a fabricated version" of herself.
 

 

The breakdown to breakthrough moment in my life has allowed me to become the truest version of myself. In my moment of "failure," I stood in the face of adversity. I was struggling with my body image and the pressures to fulfill the demands of perfectionism upon me. I am not perfect. Through this struggle, however, I found the strength to love myself. I stood in my power. I thought of one of my favorite quotes, "Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a men's character, give him power" - Abraham Lincoln. I look back on that moment now, and I embrace it. This feeling I once perceived as "failure" was, in truth, a powerful awakening for me to stand behind my purpose in life. I stepped away from hiding behind a fabricated version of myself. I no longer put actions behind my fears and insecurities. I made a choice to redirect my energy to be a catalyst for change. To create a channel for women to become the truest versions of themselves, along with me. (Stay tuned for more...) In the end, if you aren't being true to yourself, then what the fuck is the point. #rebelwacause #empowerment #womensempowerment#empoweredbyyou

A photo posted by Erin Heatherton (@erinheathertonlegit) on Mar 10, 2016 at 7:46pm PST

This is a week in which body image has been discussed at length in a powerful Instagram post by actress Zarine Khan, who accompanied photos of herself as a school student and wrote about being bodyshamed no matter what size she is: (Also Read: Everyone Should Read Actress Zarine Khan's Powerful Post on Bodyshaming)
 

 

Came across these pics of mine from school and college days. (White one was in std 9th & pink one was right after my std 12th exams). Whn I look at these pics I feel proud of myself today not tht I felt any lesser abt myself back then. Inspite of being so big I never let ppl's comments or ideas abt me bother me. Bcoz it's my life and my body and only I hav the right to decide wht I'm gonna do with it. Then one day I decided let me try how it feels to b a little lighter and hence started my weight loss journey. It wasn't easy at all bt everytime I looked at the Progress in the mirror I got the push to do more. I had lots more energy than before and I was loving every bit of this new person I was transforming into. Whn I became a part of this industry, I had lost all my weight ... Infact I was asked to put on weight Fr my first film to look the character. Unfortunately I was criticised to no end Fr my weight bt again I never let tht get to me. How cud I ? Those ppl had not seen me like the way I am in these pics here. And Fr me everything was jus an achievement to reach frm where I was to where I am. I continued on my fitness journey irrespective Bcoz fitness Fr me is a way of life now. Along with the weight loss came a lot of stretch marks bt instead of feeling ashamed of it and trying to hide it , I believe in flaunting it . It makes me feel like a tigress with her stripes. I have come a long way in this journey of fitness and I still hav a long way to go... Bt it's always been only Fr myself and not Bcoz of ppl shaming me ! #IWillBeMe #MondayMotivation #SayNoToBodyShaming #LoveYourself

A photo posted by Zareen Khan (@zareenkhan) on Apr 4, 2016 at 3:05am PDT

Last year, at least three models spoke publicly about being bodyshamed. "No, I don't have the same body type as the other models in shows. I represent a body image that wasn't accepted in high-fashion before," wrote international supermodel Gigi Hadid on Instagram. "Your mean comments don't make me want to change my body," she told bodyshamers. Swedish model Agnes Hedengard, then medically underweight with a BMI of 17.5, made a YouTube video in which she made the startling confession that she doesn't get a lot of work because she's considered "too big." "They think my hips are too wide," she said. "According to the modelling industry, you cannot look like this." (Also Read: Three Models Claim They've Been Body-Shamed. Hard to Believe? Read This)

At home, model and actress Lisa Ray, 44, told news agency IANS that she get bodyshamed, saying, "I get it as well. We have a lot of trolling and things like that. I am very proud of who I am today but honestly, I have to struggle with it as well." (Also Read: Lisa Ray Claims She Gets Body-Shamed. True Story)

Several of Lisa's colleagues from Bollywood, among them Parineeti Chopra and Sonakshi Sinha, have been outspoken about being criticized for their bodies. Alarmingly, young daughters of female celebrities also appear to be targeted for the way they look. The teenaged daughters of actresses Sridevi and Pooja Bedi have addressed those who leave disrespectful comments on their social media accounts in strongly-worded posts and blogs.(Also Read: Sridevi's Daughter Khushi Shames the Body-Shamers in Instagram Post)