Ria Atayde on why losing weight is difficult for her: ‘I’m sick with stuff I can’t fix’
Ria Atayde clapped back at body shamers as she opened up about dealing with hypothyroidism and having “no gallbladder,” which make it difficult for her to lose weight.
The actress got real about her health problems at a recently concluded press conference, where she was asked about her critics. “I have hypothyroidism, I have no gallbladder. Losing weight is a lot harder for me than it is for other people. So, go ahead—call me fat. Anong magagawa niyo? I’m sick with stuff I can’t fix,” she revealed without going into much detail.
Hypothyroidism—also known as underactive thyroid—is a thyroid condition or state “where the thyroid hormone production becomes inadequate,” according to Dr. Eunice Tan, an endocrinologist at St. Luke’s Medical Center.
Ria went on to say that society and the entertainment industry can be “ruthless when it comes to physical attributes.” She continued: “What I always tell people is at the end of the day, it should be the opinions of people that matter to you which should matter.”
The local star made the rounds online in January when she was announced as the 2023 calendar girl of a whisky brand. She showcased her sultry side as she bared some skin in daring outfits for her photoshoot for White Castle Whiskey, which was met with some backlash from netizens who pointed out she’s “not sexy enough” to be its calendar girl.
Giving her own definition of “sexy,” the 30-year-old said it boils down to confidence in one’s own skin, “being able to embrace it and celebrate it because and in spite of its flaws.”
“I think after the calendar, I can celebrate it even more. It didn’t change it, it made it even more real to me,” she added.
Body positivity is “all about embracing yourself and understanding yourself,” she said, adding that it’s high time for people to stop shaming others for their body size or shape.
“We don’t know what some people are going through. Maybe they look the way they do because it is a choice or maybe they’re going through something,” she stressed.
