Queen Latifah Was Pissed When First Told She Fell Into Obesity Category

Queen Latifah Recalls Being ‘Pissed’ When First Told She Fell Into The Category Of Obesity

While appearing on the latest episode of Red Table Talk, Queen Latifah recalls the time a personal trainer referred to her as obese; something that did not sit well with her.

In a preview clip of the upcoming show, the Equalizer star speaks with Jada Pinkett Smith, Willow Smith, and Adrienne Banfield-Norris and discusses how she recently began working out with a new trainer who she described as “scientific and mathematic.”

She explained, “I hooked up with this trainer, Janette. She’s showing me different body types, and she’s like, ‘This is what your BMI [Body Mass Index] is, this is what your weight is, and you fall into this category of obesity.'”

 

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Queen Latifah continued, “So I was mad at that. That pissed me off,” she said with a laugh. “I was like, what? Me? I’m just thick!

Latifah recalled the trainer saying, “‘you are 30% over where you should be.’ And I’m like, ‘Obesity?'” Latifah and Pinkett Smith went on to discuss how obesity and BMI is based on problematic racial, and societal biases.

Latifah starred as Khadijah James on the Fox sitcom Living Single from 1993 to 1998. Her third album, Black Reign (1993), became the first album by a solo female rapper to receive a RIAA certification, and spawned the single “U.N.I.T.Y.”, which was influential in raising awareness of violence against women and the objectification of Black female sexuality.

The record won a Grammy Award and peaked at No. 23 on the Billboard Hot 100. She then starred in the lead role of Set It Off (1996) and released her fourth album, Order in the Court, on June 16, 1998, with Motown Records. Latifah garnered acclaim with her role of Matron “Mama” Morton in the musical film Chicago (2002), receiving a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.