Aretha Franklin, also known as the Queen of Soul, gained notoriety for her singing talents in 1967 with her hit singles “Respect,’ “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman,” and “Think.” Since then, she has enjoyed one of the most successful careers in the music industry. However, as the years went on, her weight continued to creep up on her, until one day she found herself at a point where she felt “entirely too fat.” After undergoing weight loss surgery and implementing a healthier lifestyle, Aretha managed to lose an impressive 85 pounds while in her early 70’s.
Drew Carey first rose to prominence when he starred in self titled sitcom, The Drew Carey Show. He became even better known when he served as host to massively popular improv comedy show, Whose Line Is It Anyway? In 2001, while filming an episode of The Drew Carey Show, he experienced chest pain and was rushed to the hospital where he underwent emergency surgery. Since then, Carey has adopted a new healthy lifestyle and has lost a huge amount of weight and has also cured his Type 2 diabetes.
Supermodel Tyra Banks began her modeling career at age 15, and rose to fame when she became the first African American woman to be featured on the covers of GQ and Sports Illustrated magazines. In addition to modeling, Banks also has dabbled in acting and also created and hosted her modeling competition, America’s Next Top Model, for twenty two seasons. In 2009, Tyra was scrutinized by the media for her 30 pound weight gain. After a wardrobe malfunction and not feeing good about herself, Tyra decided to get back in shape and looks as amazing as ever.
Ronnie Ortiz of The Jersey Shore cast was known for two things on the show: his temper and his beefy bod. However, in 2013 he was taken to hospital for kidney stones, and since falling ill he had let himself go a bit. He ended up gaining a good amount of weight and felt that he became nearly unrecognizable. He decided to start heading back to the gym and dieting. He has stated that dieting is key and that cardio “saved [his] Good Year tire,” jokingly referring to his extra weight.
Oprah Winfrey had a turbulent childhood but after working very hard and excelling in high school, she earned her way to opportunities and became one of the most powerful women in the world. After hosting her talk show The Oprah Winfrey Show, she launched her own channel called the Oprah Winfrey Network. She has struggled with her weight for many years, fluctuating between losing and gaining weight for years. She most recently found success through the Weight Watchers program, which helped her lose 30 pounds.
