# Is "Precious" star Gabourey Sidibe so obese she is in danger of early death? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 12, 2010, 7:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-precious-star-gabourey-sidibe-so-obese-she-is-in-danger-of-early-death/532214 "2010-03-12T07:14:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2010, 7:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-precious-star-gabourey-sidibe-so-obese-she-is-in-danger-of-early-death/532214/1 "2010-03-12T07:14:00Z")
[Howard Stern went on a tear](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/03/09/howard-stern-gabourey-sid_n_492102.html) against Precious star Gabourey Sidibe, and as part of his critique of her claimed she is in imminent danger of death due to her extreme obesity. His cutting humor aside does he have a point? Is she really so fat she is in imminent danger of dying? ---
**Author:** ![Hippy\_Hollow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hippy_hollow/32/4841_2.png) [@Hippy\_Hollow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hippy_Hollow)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2010, 7:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-precious-star-gabourey-sidibe-so-obese-she-is-in-danger-of-early-death/532214/2 "2010-03-12T07:26:34Z")
I don’t get this. Is he her MD or something? How the fuck would he know? I wouldn’t think that she is the healthiest person because of her weight, but I’m not clear on what he’s trying to accomplish here. Is he trying to convince her to exercise and diet? How does he know whether she is doing this already, or not? Does Stern do this for other celebrities that smoke, do drugs, speed on the interstate, and so on? Sounds like a dick move to poke fun at her weight rather than genuine concern for this woman. ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2010, 8:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-precious-star-gabourey-sidibe-so-obese-she-is-in-danger-of-early-death/532214/3 "2010-03-12T08:37:51Z")
I am sure Gaby is shocked to hear she is overweight. In interviews, this is a girl who was plucked from obscurity and lucked out with the role of a lifetime. She is a funny, smart girl who is fully aware of who and what she is. That said, don’t be surprised if she starts losing a lot of weight. Part of that is the “celebrity” factor, but a big part will be money and motivation - if you can afford to live well, eat well, and have strong motivation, it is amazing what can happen. When I was a bit younger than she is, I too was way, way overweight (48" waist) - but moving away from home, and getting my life in order, and finding my way alone helped me enormously. Four years later my jeans size was 33" waist and 38" long. That was without the benefit of a personal trainer and money to allow me spend time working out and getting into shape. Is her weight unhealthy - of course - but at her age, it is not something she cannot change, and maybe she will never get down to supermodel size, but don’t be surprise when you see her at the next Oscars and she looks a lot different than she does now. Still - leave the girl alone and let her work things out. She still looks a lot healthier than, for instance, Nicole Richie or Lindsey Lohan. ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2010, 8:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-precious-star-gabourey-sidibe-so-obese-she-is-in-danger-of-early-death/532214/4 "2010-03-12T08:59:37Z")
I wish I could find the link, but I remember reading a few years back of a study that African-American women suffered fewer weight-related health problems than Caucasian women of the same age and weight. They were described as a statistical anomaly. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2010, 9:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-precious-star-gabourey-sidibe-so-obese-she-is-in-danger-of-early-death/532214/5 "2010-03-12T09:08:05Z")
> [@DMark](#): > > She is a funny, smart girl I saw her interviewed on Craig Ferguson, and she was charming and _hilarious_. She has a hell of a career ahead of her. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2010, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-precious-star-gabourey-sidibe-so-obese-she-is-in-danger-of-early-death/532214/6 "2010-03-12T12:17:29Z")
I just listened to the Howard Stern clip that’s linked to in the OP, and Stern never says that Gabourey Sidibe is in imminent danger of death. Where do you get the idea that he does? He does say that he thinks that she will never work again, since there are no other parts for someone as fat as her. First of all, that’s already been disproved. She has some roles lined up already. Second, even if that were true, all that would prove is the paucity of roles available for people who don’t fit Hollywood’s dishonest view of what most people look like. Third, why do you waste your time listening to Howard Stern if this kind of nonsense is typical of what he talks about? ---
**Author:** ![Rrose\_Selavy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bcef8e/32.png) [@Rrose\_Selavy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rrose_Selavy)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2010, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-precious-star-gabourey-sidibe-so-obese-she-is-in-danger-of-early-death/532214/7 "2010-03-12T14:16:21Z")
> [@Hippy\_Hollow](#): > > I don’t get this. Is he her MD or something? How the fuck would he know? > > . and how would \*\*we \*\*know? It’s a medical question that could apply to anyone.. Maybe the OP should try asking in General Questions. ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2010, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-precious-star-gabourey-sidibe-so-obese-she-is-in-danger-of-early-death/532214/8 "2010-03-12T14:35:24Z")
Stern is a jackass, and by all accounts Gabourey is a lovely young woman. But I don’t see how there can be any question that carrying all that weight around is dangerously unhealthy. Even black women get heart disease and diabetes, and obesity is a huge contributing factor to both. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2010, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-precious-star-gabourey-sidibe-so-obese-she-is-in-danger-of-early-death/532214/9 "2010-03-12T15:20:08Z")
> [@DMark](#): > > That said, don’t be surprised if she starts losing a lot of weight. > Part of that is the “celebrity” factor, but a big part will be money and motivation - if you can afford to live well, eat well, and have strong motivation, it is amazing what can happen. You would think that, but look at Oprah Winfrey. She is really rich, enough that she has a private chef and a personal trainer, and yet she struggles with her weight. ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2010, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-precious-star-gabourey-sidibe-so-obese-she-is-in-danger-of-early-death/532214/10 "2010-03-12T15:29:06Z")
> [@Hippy\_Hollow](#): > > I don’t get this. Is he her MD or something? How the fuck would he know? I don’t think you need to be an MD to see that her weight is a health problem. > [@](#): > > Does Stern do this for other celebrities that smoke, do drugs, speed on the interstate, and so on? Sounds like a dick move to poke fun at her weight rather than genuine concern for this woman. I’m not a Stern fan, but I think he does. I saw clips of him telling Anna Nicole Smith she seemed stoned, and making fun of Jerry Garcia when he was in a coma (“who’d a thought? healthy guy - always took care of himself”). ---
**Author:** ![BrandonR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@BrandonR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrandonR)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2010, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-precious-star-gabourey-sidibe-so-obese-she-is-in-danger-of-early-death/532214/11 "2010-03-12T15:41:11Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > I saw her interviewed on Craig Ferguson, and she was charming and _hilarious_. She has a hell of a career ahead of her. So does craft services. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2010, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-precious-star-gabourey-sidibe-so-obese-she-is-in-danger-of-early-death/532214/12 "2010-03-12T17:18:48Z")
An article on the challenges of being a very large woman seeking employment in Hollywood: [Can talent outweigh size in Hollywood? - CNN.com](http://www.cnn.com/2010/SHOWBIZ/Movies/03/10/gabourey.sidibe.career/index.html?iref=allsearch) ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2010, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-precious-star-gabourey-sidibe-so-obese-she-is-in-danger-of-early-death/532214/13 "2010-03-12T17:24:40Z")
> [@Wendell\_Wagner](#): > > I just listened to the Howard Stern clip that’s linked to in the OP, and Stern never says that Gabourey Sidibe is in imminent danger of death. Where do you get the idea that he does? He does say that he thinks that she will never work again, since there are no other parts for someone as fat as her. First of all, that’s already been disproved. She has some roles lined up already. Second, even if that were true, all that would prove is the paucity of roles available for people who don’t fit Hollywood’s dishonest view of what most people look like. Third, why do you waste your time listening to Howard Stern if this kind of nonsense is typical of what he talks about? Right. His point was the Hollywood d-bags were full of it, pretending this woman is going to be the next mega star considering she is very, very large. If they really were as enamoured with her as they pretended, they’d tell her to lose some weight instead of blowing sunshine up her ass. Now whether or not you agree with that point is a different story entirely. I reckon she’ll have some more parts, bask in the limelight, then return to obscurity, but only time will tell. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2010, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-precious-star-gabourey-sidibe-so-obese-she-is-in-danger-of-early-death/532214/14 "2010-03-12T17:31:50Z")
> [@Wendell\_Wagner](#): > > I just listened to the Howard Stern clip that’s linked to in the OP, and Stern never says that Gabourey Sidibe is in imminent danger of death. Where do you get the idea that he does? On the audio clip “Go get yourself thin or you’re going to die” at the 50-60 second mark is not claiming she is in imminent danger of death? ---
**Author:** ![BrandonR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@BrandonR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrandonR)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2010, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-precious-star-gabourey-sidibe-so-obese-she-is-in-danger-of-early-death/532214/15 "2010-03-12T17:33:50Z")
> [@astro](#): > > On the audio clip “Go get yourself thin or you’re going to die” at the 50-60 second mark is not claiming she is in imminent danger of death? I wouldn’t say “you’re going to die” necessarily implies imminent death, but it does imply your life will be shorter than average. ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2010, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-precious-star-gabourey-sidibe-so-obese-she-is-in-danger-of-early-death/532214/16 "2010-03-12T17:34:05Z")
> [@astro](#): > > On the audio clip “Go get yourself thin or you’re going to die” at the 50-60 second mark is not claiming she is in imminent danger of death? Imminent, no, but that child is a heart attack waiting to happen. (Glares at Brandon) ---
**Author:** ![jacquilynne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/67e7ee/32.png) [@jacquilynne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jacquilynne)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2010, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-precious-star-gabourey-sidibe-so-obese-she-is-in-danger-of-early-death/532214/17 "2010-03-12T17:39:55Z")
Howard Stern’s a jerk, but he’s kind of got a point. There’s are not a lot of great dramatic roles out there for women. Or black people. Or fat people. I don’t think Gabourey Sidibe has a brilliant career ahead of her. I don’t think that means that there’s something wrong with her, just that Hollywood’s notion of what’s acceptable to show on a screen is ridiculously narrow. It’d be cool if she can make it as an actor, but I hope she’s not under any illusions that she’s going to have an easy path if she chooses to go that way. It’ll be a constant struggle to find worthwhile roles that aren’t just the stereotypical sassy, fat black best friend. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2010, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-precious-star-gabourey-sidibe-so-obese-she-is-in-danger-of-early-death/532214/18 "2010-03-12T18:31:37Z")
> [@astro](#): > > On the audio clip “Go get yourself thin or you’re going to die” at the 50-60 second mark is not claiming she is in imminent danger of death? I think he’s right that it would be better for both her health and her career to lose weight, and that she is in danger of a shortened life, but did he ever say any of the same things to that trainwreck, Artie Lange? He’s in a lot worse shape than she is. ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2010, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-precious-star-gabourey-sidibe-so-obese-she-is-in-danger-of-early-death/532214/19 "2010-03-12T18:37:32Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > I think he’s right that it would be better for both her health and her career to lose weight, and that she is in danger of a shortened life, but did he ever say any of the same things to that trainwreck, Artie Lange? He’s in a lot worse shape than she is. All the time. Definitely on air, and he at least claims that he’s done so off air as well. I believe him. ETA: Not to say that Stern didn’t get all the comedic mileage he could out of Artie’s weight, drinking, drug, gambling, etc. problems that he could. But he never put it in terms of “Oh, you lovable drunk! Don’t change a thing!” ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2010, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-precious-star-gabourey-sidibe-so-obese-she-is-in-danger-of-early-death/532214/20 "2010-03-12T19:30:11Z")
I agree, Howard can be a dick, but usually he says a lot of truth. How many fat actors are there who’s not doing comedy and not a fat male? And Sidibe isn’t just big in the sense that she’s a little overweight. Lots of actors and actresses can hide that fact without it being an issue in the roles they play. Queen Latifah comes to mind. She’s bigger than an average woman but she doesn’t play “fat” characters. I’m afraid any roles Sidibe plays will probably have a focus on her weight. It seems that the only “fat” characters people will tolerate are males who are jolly and playing comedic roles. Cedric the Entertainer, John Candy, Chris Farley, Seth Rogan (before his weight loss), Kevin James are all bigger than your average joe and skew towards comedy. It seems the only time Hollywood wants a fat person is to make a dramatic point about discrimination or something. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-precious-star-gabourey-sidibe-so-obese-she-is-in-danger-of-early-death/532214.md?page=2)