Kourtney Kardashian’s Photo Inspires Post-Baby Body Confessions
Kourtney Kardashian’s baby weight confession on Instagram sparked a feel-good chain of events. (Photo: Getty Images)
Kourtney Kardashian has not been private about her struggle to drop pounds after giving birth to her third child in December. But her latest Instagram post — a photo that revealed the reality star’s current weight — has sparked a surprisingly body-positive conversation.
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On Monday, the reality star stood on the scale for the photo (spoiler: she weighs 116 pounds) and, perhaps anticipating backlash, captioned it, “It’s Monday! Ps: I’m 5 feet tall so everyone relax I’m on a workout kick, trying to bring some Monday motivation.” It’s not the first time Kardashian gave us an update on her baby weight journey. Back in March, she posted a similar image to Instagram, then weighing 120 pounds, writing, “First day that I have seen this number in a while.” And one month after giving birth, she uploaded a shot of her running shoes, writing, “14 stubborn pounds to go. Let’s go!”
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Kourtney Kardashian posted a photo of her weight on Instagram. (Photo: Instagram/Kourtney Kardashian)
But anyone expecting the star to be put on blast for airing her lowest weight since giving birth to son Reign Aston Disick in December might be surprised by the raw, emotional — even grateful — reaction in the comments section of her post. Aside from many deeming it “inspirational,“ and encouraging Kardashian to continue her efforts, the star’s admission seemed to embolden other moms to get candid about their own weight. Some examples:
“We almost weigh the same. I’m 115 [pounds]. I’m proud after having my first baby.”
“I’m around 5’2” and am finally at 120! Hard work pays off!”
“5’5” and I weigh 110.”
“I’m 5 ft and 112 lbs after two kids.”
“I’m 5’5 and I weight 115 lol who cares!”
“5’7, 150 lbs. Size 5….And I [TK] love my body. Be proud of you!”
“I’m 5’1 and I weigh 110….Keep rocking.”
Given the insatiable demand for celebrity-endorsed diet plans and post-baby body photos, when it comes to actual numbers, we don’t know much about our favorite celebrities. But revealing their weight (should they choose to share that information) might put the body-image wars into perspective.
While the accuracy of the Body-Mass Index (BMI) is controversial, it’s currently the standard classification used by organizations including the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the World Health Organization (WHO), and most likely your own doctor. At 5 feet tall and 116 pounds, Kardashian’s weight falls into the BMI “normal” range. Katy Perry, 5’8, once revealed to ELLE that she was 130 pounds (also normal under BMI standards), and while discussing losing 20 pounds to play a ballet dancer in the film “Black Swan,” Mila Kunis, 5’4, remarked that her usual weight was a healthy 117, adding that she looked like Gollum [from 'The Lord of the Rings’] at her thinnest.
Of course there are limits to this type of overshare. In 2013, the June cover of Allure magazine featuring “Star Trek” actress Zoe Saldana bore a coverline stating her exact weight (115 lbs). The publication received backlash for hyper-focusing on the number (in light of a compelling inside story about race and sexuality) and Saldana was toasted for being too thin. While the actress was just three pounds shy of BMI’s “normal” range, and disclosed her weight to the interviewer, she told Today that the number was only meant to juxtapose her emotional strength with her, yes, lightweight frame.
It might be objectionable if celebrities attributed their slender bodies to trendy juice cleanses but Kardashian is seemingly dropping pounds with old-fashioned exercise. Likewise, Saldana, who admitted to gaining 70 pounds while pregnant with twins, has been candid about her gym commitment and refusal to diet.
Not only do these public admissions shed light on the reality of postpartum bodies, they can motivate others to reach their goals. Research shows that social media can encourage weight loss by fostering a sense of community, offering accountability and support — which all women, mothers or not, could all use a little more of.
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