Selena Gomez has been struggling with her body image lately after gaining weight due to an autoimmune disease she was diagnosed with a few years back. Fans have been concerned about the Selena Gomez weight gain reason as the “People You Know” singer’s appearance has changed drastically over the years.
The American star recently addressed people’s comments about her body image and weight gain on social media and also revealed the key reason behind her increasing weight. In this guide, we’ll tell you what happened to Selena Gomez, which disease she has been struggling with, and how she feels about it.
Contents
Why is Selena Gomez Gaining Weight?
Selena Gomez recently shared an Instagram post featuring the before and after pictures of her weight gain. “Today, I realized I will never look like this again,” the 31-year-old singer wrote captioning the first photo from 2013. She then shared the second one from 2023 and wrote, “I’m not perfect but I am proud to be who I am … sometimes I forget it’s OK to be me.”
Before this, Selena Gomez got candid and opened up about how Lupus medications are affecting her body. The “Who Says” singer was diagnosed with ‘Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)’ in 2015. It’s an autoimmune condition in which the immunity system starts attacking the body’s own tissues and organs.
During a TikTok livestream in February 2023, Selena Gomez revealed that taking medications for Lupus makes her body retain water, which leads to weight gain. “[When I’m taking it, I] tend to hold a lot of water weight, and that happens very normally. When I’m off of it, I tend to lose weight,” Gomez said.
She added: “I just wanted to say and encourage anyone out there who feels any sort of shame for exactly what they’re going through, and no one knows the real story.” Gomez then continued to explain why medications are more important than people’s opinions and she finds herself beautiful the way she was.
“I just want people to know that you’re beautiful, and you’re wonderful. Yeah, we have days where maybe we feel like s—, but I would rather be healthy and take care of myself. My medications are important, and I believe that they’re what helps me.”
Does Lupus Cause Selena Gomez’s Weight Gain?
Yes, Lupus can sometimes cause weight gain and even weight loss as the autoimmune disease causes inflammation to different body systems including your joints, skin, kidneys, blood cells, brain, heart, and lungs. However, in Selena Gomez’s case, the medications she has been taking are causing her weight gain.
The “Single Soon” singer didn’t mention which medicines she was taking for her disease. However, medical experts believe she could be talking about the steroid prednisone in her livestream. It’s a common medication used to treat internal organ complications of Lupus but has side effects of weight gain, water retention, and retaining extra fluid inside the body.
Selena Gomez was diagnosed with Lupus in 2015 and she also underwent chemotherapy due to the condition. In 2017, the famed singer even had to undergo a kidney transplant because of the disease. She has been very open about her health with her fans on social media and has kept them updated.
She first discussed the medications causing her weight gain during a podcast interview in 2019. “It’s the medication I have to take for the rest of my life — it depends on even the month, to be honest,” she said. “So for me, I really noticed when people started attacking me for that. And in reality, that’s just my truth. I fluctuate. It depends on what’s happening in my life.”
Selena Gomez Addresses Her Body Image:
After the launch of her 2015 song “Who Says” (which itself is a brilliant ode to body positivity), Selena Gomez has addressed body shamers openly and called them out multiple times. She has been struggling with her body image after constantly seeing comments about her weight gain.
In the same TikTok live stream where she addressed her Lupus medications being the reason behind her changed appearance, she also addressed her body image.
“Not a model, never will be. And I think they’re awesome, mind you. I’m just definitely not that,” Gomez said. “I just wanted to tell you I love you guys, and thanks for supporting me and understanding. And if not, go away, ’cause honestly, I don’t believe in shaming people for [their bodies] or anything.”
In another TikTok live, Selena Gomez discussed her diet attempts, and weight gain, and criticized people spreading negativity about her body.
“So I keep trying to stay skinny, but I went to Jack in the Box and I got four tacos, three egg rolls, onion rings, and a spicy chicken sandwich,” Selena said. “But honestly, I don’t care about my weight because people bitch about it anyway.”
Selena Gomez also shared TikTok Stories in April 2022 where she clapped back at people who keep dissing her physique. “‘You’re too small,’ ‘You’re too big,’ ‘That doesn’t fit.’ ‘Meh meh meh meh.’” she wrote. “Bitch, I am perfect the way I am,” she added. “Moral of the story? Bye.”
In her March 2023 Instagram video shared to Rare Beauty’s account, Gomez, who’s the owner of the brand, talked about positive words she would pass down to her younger self. “Something I wish I could tell my younger self is: Appreciate the face and the body that you have. May not look like everyone else, but you are who you are, and be proud of that,” she said in the clip.
Selena Gomez’s Weight Gain Affected Her Mental Health:
Selena Gomez also talked about how social media users criticizing her weight gain had affected her to the point that she stopped managing her accounts. She handed over the responsibility to manage her social media accounts to her assistant completely due to the mean comments she received.
“People can call me ugly or stupid and I’m like, ‘Whatever.’ But these people get detailed. They write paragraphs that are so specific and mean,” Gomez said in an interview with Vanity Fair. “People can call me ugly or stupid and I’m like, ‘Whatever.’ But these people get detailed. They write paragraphs that are so specific and mean.”
“I would constantly be crying. I constantly had anxiety … And I couldn’t do it anymore. It was a waste of my time,” she added. “The world was my high school for the longest time, and I started getting inundated with information that I didn’t want.” However, Selena is back to managing her own accounts now.
Still, the “Same Old Love” singer is protective of her mental health. “I created a system,” she said. “Everything I do I send to my assistant who posts them. As far as comments, my team will put together a few things that are encouraging.” Gomez has had a pretty rough experience on social media lately.
Final Thoughts:
The ‘Selena Gomez weight gain’ has become a highly discussed topic on social media these days but a lot of people don’t know that it’s because of her struggle with Lupus, an autoimmune disease. The medicines she takes to manage her health are the reason why Selena’s face looks puffy and her body looks obese lately.
A lot of social media users even make ‘mean’ comments about the singer’s body. However, the “Calm Down” singer has eventually learned to deal with the negativity and love herself. She can now gracefully shut out the critics and appreciate her body the way it is. This has also helped her to improve her mental health.
That’s all for this post. If you have any suggestions or queries regarding this, feel free to comment.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Here are the most frequently asked questions about the Selene Gomez weight gain story:
What is causing Selena Gomez’s weight gain?:
The medications that Selena Gomez takes for Lupus, the autoimmune disease that she was diagnosed with in 2015, are causing her to gain weight. She didn’t reveal which medicines she takes to manage the disease but it’s possible that she has been taking the steroid prednisone which has a side effect of retaining water.
Which Disease Does Selena Gomez Have?:
Selena Gomez was diagnosed with Lupus, also known by its full name systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), in 2015. She has been living with the autoimmune disease in which the body’s immunity system attacks its own cells for over a decade now. She has also undergone chemotherapy and a kidney transplant due to it.
Does Selena Gomez have a kidney disease?:
Selena Gomez was diagnosed with Lupus Nephritis, one of the most common complications of Lupus. Due to this, she underwent a kidney transplant in 2017 and regularly has to take medications for a lifetime. The medications she takes for her kidney disease have side effects of weight gain and water retention.
How much does Selena Gomez weigh now?:
Selena Gomez weighs around 130 to 150 pounds currently. Her weight keeps fluctuating due to the medications she regularly takes for lupus. The medicines make her body retain water which leads to an increase in her weight. The weight gain of Selena Gomez is one of the most discussed topics on social media recently but this has affected her mental health adversely.
Santhan, known to many as Linda, combines her personal training expertise with exceptional motivational coaching skills. Her articles are not just informative but also incredibly inspiring, encouraging readers to take action and pursue their fitness goals. Linda’s unique approach to writing integrates practical fitness guidance with motivational elements, making her content both useful and uplifting.