Get Over 36-24-36, Magazine Models Aren’t Fitness Goals: Priyanka

Watch | “Even I’m not 36-34-36,” says Priyanka Chopra on unrealistic beauty and fitness standards in FIT’s interview

FIT caught up with Priyanka Chopra, actor and also a UNICEF ambassador.

(Photo: Harsh Sahani/FIT)

Do you wonder what it takes to stay fit, mind and body, when you’re a global movie star living out of two countries? We’ll let Priyanka Chopra tell you herself.

FIT caught up with Priyanka Chopra, actor and also a UNICEF ambassador, at an event ‘The Partners’ Forum’ for promoting better healthcare for women and adolescents in India.

From unrealistic fitness standards to her diet, she has a thing or two to say to millennials about their lifestyles.

Busting the 36-24-36 Myth

Talking about how celebrities are influencers, what would she tell young girls about body image issues and fitness? Many of them have unrealistic ideas of beauty and fitness because of what they see on screens and in magazines.

The fitness standard for women has always been an unrealistic 36-24-36. Even I’m not 36-24-36. But why do we have to be that?

Priyanka Chopra

She adds that people shouldn’t body shame girls to look like what the magazine models look like.

Even I don’t look like what the magazine models look like. That’s the wrong standard of beauty.

Her message to young girls? “Beauty is who you can be, the best version of you how healthy you can be, how great you can be in whatever you can do, it’s an internal look.”

You can’t look at somebody else. “Like I can’t look at Katrina Kaif’s abs and say ‘Oh! my God, I’m not pretty because Katrina Kaif has abs.’ I’m like, ‘Damn girl! How do you have those abs. Oh! I need to go to the gym and make sure I have abs.’ So, I’d rather get inspired by it rather than saying that I am worse.”

Priyanka’s Diet Plan? Eat!

So that young girls don’t starve to achieve a figure like hers, Priyanka tells us what she eats.

Well, here’s the catch, she loves eating!

I’m a food-ista. People are fashionistas, I’m a food-ista. You have to eat. Your body is required to eat. If you do want to get thin, you can have a healthier way of getting thin.

“After Christmas and Diwali, I always put on weight and then lose it by summer. And that’s okay!” So don’t starve yourself, girls.

You can make sure that you get all the nutrients required by your body but in a healthy form. If you want to be on a “diet” instead of starving, eat vegetables. Eat lots and lots of amazing vegetables, put lots of flavours on them. Eat some sort of protein. If you’re a vegetarian, eat paneer, eat daal, but eat.

“You’ll lose your weight if you want to lose weight. I’m never someone who has believed in size zero. Women should be wholesome, we’re meant to be curvy. And the more to love, the more to hold,” adds Priyanka.

Here’s How to Be Positive in Times of Social Media

There are so many issues like mental health and fitness, that affect adolescents. So, what message does she have for youngsters to take care of themselves?

I think the most important thing for youngsters to understand is that we live in the era of social media. And that doesn’t define who you are. Criticism, trolling or someone telling you you’re bad or someone calling you names doesn’t make you that. What is very important for young people to understand is that a healthy attitude towards yourself is more important.

“Please go to my Instagram and read all my comments. If I started reading them, I would be really depressed. But who cares. You have to care about what your life is and what your world is, so please do that.”

Amen!

Cameraperson: Athar Rather and Anubhav Gupta
Video Editor: Ashish Maccune and Prashant Chauhan