Raven Symone Was Fat-Shamed on “The Cosby Show”

Raven Symone experienced the worst kind of fat-shaming ever–when she was a child. Children who are fat-shamed often carry that guilty feeling around with them throughout their lives. It was whil...
Raven Symone Was Fat-Shamed on “The Cosby Show”
Written by Kimberly Ripley
  • Raven Symone experienced the worst kind of fat-shaming ever–when she was a child. Children who are fat-shamed often carry that guilty feeling around with them throughout their lives. It was while starring as Olivia Kendall on The Cosby Show that Symone first experienced the fat-shaming. She talked about the experience during a recent episode of The View.

    “I remember not being able to have the bagel or anything at [craft services]–we call it crafty–where it’s just a table of food ready for you to eat whenever you want,” Raven Symone explained. “And I remember people were like, ‘You can’t eat that. You’re getting fat.'”

    The That’s So Raven star was shocked by the way she was treated.

    “I’m like, ‘I’m 7! I’m hungry!'” she said.

    Raven Symone went on to explain something that many people are finally starting to understand.

    “It’s more than what’s just the food–it’s what’s in the food. Your cortisol level and your serotonin level have a really strong influence on your body type.”

    During her years on The Cosby Show, Raven Symone admits to becoming depressed because of the fat-shaming–and for other reasons, too.

    “You put nasty stuff, images of women I’ll never to aspire to [in front of me], of course I’m going to get depressed,” she said.

    These days Raven Symone has a much healthier outlook. She realizes she isn’t–nor will she likely ever be–rail thin. But that’s okay. She has learned to love her beautiful, healthy body.

    Fat-shaming needs to end. People need to learn to love and respect people for far more than the shape of their bodies.

    How sad that Raven Symone experienced fat-shaming as a child. Sadly, this no doubt happens to many other children–adult,s too–every single day.

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