Rebel Wilson built her career as an icon for so-called “body positivity” and then wanted to have a baby. Obesity causes higher risks for pregnancies. In fact, pregnant women who are obese face a 131 percent increase in pulmonary embolisms, a 121 percent increase in sepsis rates, and a 120 percent higher risk of cesarean section.
The 44-year-old blonde Australian actress best known for her star role as “Fat Amy” in “Pitch Perfect” wrote candidly about capitalizing on body image to claim Hollywood fame in her new memoir out this month, “Rebel Rising.” The book is as honest as it is hilarious, particularly the audio version narrated by Fat Amy grappling with the “emotional war going on inside.”
“On the one hand, I’m a proud fat female. I’ve used my weight to my advantage. I’ve turned lemons into lemon cheesecake,” she explains in one of the first chapters about a visit with a fertility doctor. “On the other hand, I’m ashamed of my eating behaviors. I feel guilty. I feel unlovable. Luckily nobody lives with me, so they can’t see what I do at night.”
Wilson, who changed her name from Melanie to Rebel when she was 17, landed one of her first television gigs in an Australian comedy called “Fat Pizza.” From there, Wilson continued to win comedic roles as the “funny fat girl.” The actress was candid about leveraging her size at the beginning of her career, taking a course titled, “Comedy and Power” when she was in
