Whether in person or online, praising someone for their weight loss can seem innocent. Body image is something that a lot of people struggle with, including celebrities. Usually, when you lose a significant amount of weight, you want people to notice and comment about it. Many people may assume that stars don’t have body image issues because of their access to different resources. They have teams of people to make them look good, and they have access to the best plastic surgeons if they choose to take that route. However, one star recently told his fans that he would prefer it if they did not comment on his body image due to the struggles he’s endured.

Jonah Hill, who’s starred in films like “21 Jump Street” and “Superbad”, recently took to Instagram to tell his 3.1 million followers that it doesn’t feel good to read comments about his body. He acknowledges that his fans mean well, but he still doesn’t want them to comment on his body. The 37-year-old actor’s plea comes months after he opened up about his struggles with body image. In another Instagram post, Hill said that he was in his mid-30’s when he finally learned about self-acceptance.

Hill revealed that he was in his mid-30’s when he took his shirt off in a pool, even in front of friends and family. He says that it probably would have happened sooner if the press didn’t intensify his childhood insecurities by mocking his body. However, Hill says that at 37, he finally loves and accepts himself. Jonah Hill’s story reminds us that you never know what struggles people are dealing with, so we should be mindful of what we say. You may think that you’re innocently commenting on someone’s weight loss, but you never know how that may trigger them.

Body Image In the Bible

1 Samuel 16:7 reminds us that God doesn’t care about how we look on the outside. He only cares about what’s inside and our spirit. This verse in Samuel says that the Lord doesn’t look at the things people look at when it comes to appearance. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at your heart. Unfortunately, we live in a world where people will judge you based on your outside appearance before looking at your core. While you may think you’re innocently praising someone for their weight loss, praise can be hurtful too. It indicates that your value is tied to your outward appearance.

When someone loses weight, people automatically assume that it’s for a good reason, like living a healthier lifestyle. However, weight loss can also be linked to depression, eating disorders, or other serious illnesses. For example, when actor Chadwick Boseman lost a significant amount of weight, the public assumed it was for a movie role and constantly commented about this change. However, Boseman silently had colon cancer. The rest of the world didn’t learn about his struggle until after he died. While you think that commenting on someone’s body or weight loss is innocent, it’s best to keep your comments to yourself. You never know what someone is going through.