Rebel Wilson was diagnosed with PCOS at a young age. Photo / Rebel Wilson / Instagram
Rebel Wilson was diagnosed with PCOS at a young age. Photo / Rebel Wilson / Instagram
Rebel Wilson has been sharing her "year of health" with fans throughout 2020 and now she has opened up about an earlier health struggle.
Speaking to E! News, the Pitch Perfect star revealed she was diagnosed with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) when she was younger, which made her rapidly gain weight.
"I've been overweight for about 20 years," she told the publication. "I started gaining weight when I was about 20. I had something called PCOS and I gained weight rapidly.
"It's just a hormone imbalance and you gain a lot of weight usually and that's how it manifested in me.
"Sometimes, I feel sad, but then at the same time, I worked my body to my advantage. I like being all sizes. It's just now turning 40, I am more health-conscious and thinking of starting a family."
Wilson, 40, said it was important for her fans to know the difference between being "skinny" and being "healthy".
Rebel Wilson has been working on her health all year. Photo / Rebel Wilson / Instagram
"I don't want to project the message that being smaller is better because I don't really believe that," she continued. "I was just engaging in pretty unhealthy habits, like eating a tub of ice cream every night and stuff, that wasn't actually helping me. It just felt good in the moment."
It comes after the star spoke candidly on The Drew Barrymore Show this week, sharing that she had once sought comfort in desserts, adding that turning 40 made her shift her focus onto her health for the first time in her life.
"I was going all around the world, jetsetting everywhere and eating a ton of sugar," Rebel – who had new curtain bangs and wore a statement-sleeved green top – said during the video interview.
"That was my vice. I have a very sweet tooth. I love desserts.
"And I've tried, like so many women out there, I've tried fads and diets and things before and I'm like, I need to do a really holistic approach to this, this time."
She went on to say "stress" led her to reach for sugary treats.
"I think what I mainly suffered from was emotional eating and dealing with the stress of becoming famous internationally – there is a lot of stressful stuff that comes with it – and I guess my way of dealing with it was eating doughnuts.
"So I was working on the mental side of things and thinking why was I doing that? And why wasn't I valuing myself and having better self-worth?"
Rebel, who now follows a strict diet and exercise routine with a focus on mindfulness, said she's learnt how to tune in to her body.
"My diet was mainly all carbs, which were delicious, but for my body type I needed to eat a lot more protein."
She added: "So I've lost, I think it's like 40lbs [about 18kg] this year so far and I want to lose a few more."
The comedian, producer and actress went on to say she "loves her curves", adding that her focus on exercise and diet has been about leading a healthier life.
"I love my curves and stuff; I don't think I'll ever go too skinny," she said.
"I feel so much healthier and I don't know whether it's a thing with ladies when you turn 40, I feel like I've really come into my own now, and not just with health but with my career as well."
