Getty TLC reality star Jazz Jennings opened up about suffering from an eating disorder in a vulnerable Instagram post.
TLC reality star Jazz Jennings opened up about suffering from an eating disorder in a vulnerable Instagram post. The influencer and transgender activist revealed she gained more than 100 pounds over the past two years and vowed to better herself.
The “I Am Jazz” star shared a before-and-after photo on June 18 that displayed how her body has changed. “As many of you have noticed, over the past few years, I have gained a substantial amount of weight,” the 20-year-old started her post. “I suffer from binge-eating disorder, a disease in which I’m not only addicted to food, but I eat it in large quantities.”
“My binging, along with an increased appetite I experience from some of the meds I’m on, has caused me to gain almost 100 pounds in a little less than two years,” Jennings continued. “I’m posting this photo because it’s time for me to address my weight gain and hold myself accountable.”
Jennings had been promising herself she would take her health seriously. “I’ve been saying I’m ready to turn over a new leaf, but I’m running out of trees now,” Jennings wrote. “I’m ready to take the initiative and create positive changes when it comes to my health and body.”
While the reality TV star has help from professionals and support from her family and friends, she knows the only one who can make the change. “…at the end of the day, I have to be the one committed toward bettering myself,” she wrote. “I know I have the power in me to lose the weight, and I intend on sharing my progress with all of you.”
Jennings Talks Trans Discrimination in Sports
Days before she revealed she suffers from binge eating disorder, Jennings advocated for trans athletes.
“Let girls play girls’ sports!!!” she wrote on June 15. “As a trans athlete who has experienced discrimination when it comes to sports, I stand with all-trans athletes looking to compete on equal grounds.”
“Let trans kids, and trans girls especially, play sports!” she continued. “Trans kids belong.”
Jennings included several slides in her post that discussed the anti-trans sports bills that have been proposed in the U.S. since May 2021.
In a March 2021 video, Jennings talked about being excluded from girls’ sports as a child. “When I was 8 years old, I was banned from my playing girls’ soccer for over two years,” she said. “The ban made me feel excluded, had no merit, and negatively affected me and my family.”
‘I Am Jazz’ Is Returning to TLC
There is good news for those who miss seeing Jennings and her family on TLC. “I Am Jazz” was renewed for season seven, Variety reported.
Jennings made her reality TV debut in 2015 when she was 14 years old. The last time viewers watched the transgender activist on TLC in March 2020, she was graduating from her high school as valedictorian.
“Alongside viewers and fans, we have watched Jazz grow into a beautiful, young woman and champion for transgender rights all over the world,” Howard Lee, president of TLC Streaming and Network Originals, said in a statement to Variety. “Her advocacy and impact have made a significant mark in history, and we are honored to continue following her story in the next chapter of her life.”
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