Mindy Kaling is addressing the public scrutiny surrounding her weight loss journey, revealing that her motivation stems from a desire to improve her health and longevity for her three children.
During an appearance on The View, the 46-year-old comedian and actress discussed her recent weight loss, which has garnered significant attention after a photoshoot for Bustle magazine. Kaling explained that she has wanted to lose weight since she was a child and has been open about her struggles with body image throughout her career.
"I think we all think it's weird when public figures lose weight because we want this perfectly consistent narrative of their lives," Kaling said. "But I have wanted to lose weight since I was 12 years old. I've been writing jokes about diet and body image for 20 years now. So when people are surprised or shocked that I wanted to lose weight, I'm like, 'Wait, how is this new? This has been part of my personality since the Clinton administration.'"
In her cover story for Bustle, the The Office alum shared that her priorities have shifted with motherhood. "When I was younger, I would want to lose weight because of vanity reasons. Now I want to lose weight or have lost weight because I want to stave off things like diabetes," she said. "I had it on both sides of my family and trying to avoid those kinds of things will, I think, help longevity for me and that's my goal."
Kaling, a single mother of three, emphasized the importance of her health for her family. "I'm a single mom of three kids. My mom died young of cancer and both my parents had diabetes ... I need to live. I need to live and the kids need me," she told The View hosts.
Promoting her new TV project Not Suitable for Work, Kaling also discussed her fitness routine, which includes training with a personal trainer three times a week and careful attention to her diet.
