14 DAY TRIAL // Three years ago, the fashion industry was left reeling after Karolina Kurkova, one of the most famous Angels from Victoria's Secret, walked the catwalk after an obvious weight gain. Not only did she pack on the pound back then, but she also went through menopause, it has emerged.
The 27-year-old stunner made the revelation herself at the Council of Fashion Designers of America at their A Well Balanced Life forum, the Daily Mail reports.
She didn't just get “fat” (note that she was never fat for real life, she was simply too heavy to be a catwalk model anymore), she also experienced menopause at a much too young age.
Kurkova was diagnosed with a thyroid condition that made her gain weight (about 30 pounds / 13.6 kg) and go through menopause, aged just 24.
“I thought I was going crazy,” the model told the panel at the aforementioned forum.
“I was having panic attacks every minute and I didn’t know what was happening, because I’ve been a healthy person. I’ve exercised all my life. I’ve always eaten well and taken care of myself,” she added.
Eventually, Kurkova got treatment for her condition – and even went on to have a baby that same year, which forced her out of the spotlight for a while.
She's now back on the scene and, judging by her more recent photos, she's in better shape than ever.
Her aim now is to draw attention to the very thorny topic of healthy nutrition in models, which explains her presence at the forum discussions.
Also there, Diane von Furstenberg, chair of the Council, stressed that designers were partly responsible for the health of the models they use in their shows.
They must “supply healthy meals, snacks, and water backstage and at shoots and provide nutrition and fitness education,” she said.
They are also supposed to “promote a healthy backstage environment by raising the awareness of the impact of smoking and tobacco-related disease among women, ensuring a smoke-free environment, and address underage drinking by prohibiting alcohol,” von Furstenberg added.