Jillian Michaels Delivers Controversial Take on Lizzo’s Body Positivity: ‘It Isn’t Gonna Be Awesome If She Gets Diabetes’

The pop superstar Lizzo and her message of body positivity has helped propel her into the spotlight over the past year. However, not everyone is impressed with the message she’s sending. While appearing as a guest on the Buzzfeed News morning show AM2DM, fitness expert Jillian Michaels had a decidedly different take on the “Juice” singer’s popularity.

“I love her music,” Michaels began. “I don’t know anything about her, I’m sure she’s a cool, awesome chick.”

However, when host Alex Berg mentioned Lizzo’s message of self-acceptance, Michaels’ praise took a sudden turn.

“Why are we celebrating her body?” she said. “Why does it matter? Why aren’t we celebrating her music? ‘Cause it isn’t gonna be awesome if she gets diabetes.”

“I love her music,” Michaels repeated. “My kid loves her music, but there’s never a moment where I’m like ‘I’m so glad she’s overweight!’ Why do we care? Why is it my job to care about her weight?”

This isn’t the first time Michaels has found herself giving a controversial opinion. Last January, she gave a negative assessment of the keto diet in Women’s Health.

“All fat and animal protein! No! Bad plan — for a million reasons,” Michaels said at the time, which prompted a response from Today Show meteorologist and keto diet practitioner Al Roker.

“So [Jillian Michaels] says #Keto is a bad idea,” Roker tweeted a year ago, even making reference to her role in the NBC reality weight-loss series The Biggest Loser. “This from a woman who promoted on camera bullying, deprivation, manipulation and more weekly in the name of weight loss. Now those sound like bad ideas.”

Roker also acknowledged that while keto is still a controversial subject due to its varied effects on those who try it, tweeting a follow-up message that read: “What works for me, may not for others.”

Roughly a week later, Michaels expressed disappointment in Roker’s remarks, telling Us Weekly that she “always thought we were homies.” She went on to justify her remarks about the meat-and-fat-heavy diet craze.

“I’m not just a fitness trainer,” she added. “I have three certifications. I do continuing education. I’m a certified nutritionist… and I’m not making up these studies.”