Debate on actress’ health rages on

Mar 16, 2010 09:01 GMT  ·  By

Newcomer Gabourey Sidibe was nominated for an Oscar for her part in the critically acclaimed “Precious” but, according to many, this is where her acting career will probably stop because her weight prevents her from getting other roles. The debate on whether Gabby is just a one-hit phenomenon and, most importantly, on whether her weight should be celebrated or condemned continues to rage on, as PopEater and TMZ can confirm.

After Howard Stern and the rant against the plus-size actress, in which he said the industry should force her to lose weight or she’d die (in more or less words), another company is urging her to think of her health. The fact that she’s large should not concern her, AcaiSupply says in an open letter, but rather that she’s not healthy. Therefore, the company is offering the star a one-year supply of its weight loss pill to help her get back in shape and, presumably, to better health.

“We have seen a large increase in sales today, but we have not yet heard from Ms. Sidibe. We are really hoping to. We want to help her maintain a healthy lifestyle. She has amazing potential, Oprah believes in her, and she could someday be on that stage accepting an Oscar. We can only put it out there for her, we hope she takes us up on our offer. The only way you can reach your goal of someday winning that Oscar is by being active, fit and most of all, healthy!” a rep for the company says in a statement to PopEater.

However, another organization counters that Gabby is so large doesn’t necessarily mean she’s unhealthy, TMZ reports. The National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance (NAAFA) is telling the e-zine that the weight loss company is obviously looking out to make a quick buck off Sidibe and is thus oblivious to the simple fact that one can’t tell if someone else is healthy by simply looking at them. AcaiSupply should not jump to this kind of conclusion in Gabourey’s case, the NAAFA says.

“A weight loss company is reaching out to the Oscar-nominated ‘Precious’ star in an effort to help her lose weight and get healthy. But according to a spokeswoman for NAAFA, being heavy doesn’t always mean being unhealthy. Peggy Howell tells TMZ, ‘You cannot tell by looking at a person if they are healthy. Fat does not equal disease and thin does not equal healthy.’ Howell also said NAAFA does not encourage people to get fat or stay fat and reminded us, ‘Achievements come in all sizes’,” TMZ writes.

While this is going on, Gabourey Sidibe continues to remain unavailable for comment.