Celebrity fitness coach Jillian Michaels slammed political correctness in a new interview, arguing that the body positivity movement could hurt people by glorifying obesity.
“I think we’re politically correct to the point of endangering people,” Ms. Michaels told Women’s Health U.K. for its January/February issue.
“Yes, we want to be inclusive of everyone [and respect that] everyone comes in all different shapes and sizes,” she continued. “That nobody should ever be body-shamed or fat-shamed or excluded and that everyone is equally deserving and should feel equally valuable. But obesity in itself is not something that should be glamorized. But we’ve become so politically correct that no one wants to say it.”
Ms. Michaels, who shot to stardom for her no-nonsense attitude on “The Biggest Loser,” said she didn’t think the show would be able to exist today in its original format.
“I think the world has shifted to a place where that format and messaging is considered fat-shaming,” she said. “But it isn’t, and it’s not meant to be. Now we’ve gone so far in the opposite direction.”
“The Biggest Loser” returns in January after a four-year hiatus and will focus on contestants getting “healthy” instead of “skinny,” host Bob Harper said last week. Ms. Michaels will not be on the show.
