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Gabourey Sidibe is young, confident, up for an Oscar in her first movie role. And despite reportedly weighing a very Hollywood-unfriendly 300 pounds, she is drawing celebrity praise. Ellen DeGeneres says, “You stay exactly who you are! Don’t ever let this town change you. You’re amazing.” The 26-year old star of the film “Precious” has been called beautiful and a role model in the big leagues. Back at home in Dallas, Quinthelyn Leejoy says, “I think she’s pretty.” Josh Jacobs adds, “To find that kind of confidence and success at that young age is pretty amazing.” Jenny Berryhill agrees, “To be confident in herself, that’s really awesome.” Lola Curry sums it up, “She’s beautiful.” But in a nation and state where an estimated 1 in 3 people is obese and it ranks as a leading cause of preventable deaths, some are saying Sidibe’s performance should be praised. But in regards to her weight, Dr. Nick Nicholson with Forest Park Medical Center says, “The problem is 15-20 years from now when she develops diabetes, high blood pressure and all of the factors that go along with obesity.” Dr. Nicholson says obesity is not a lack of willpower. It can be cured. He says, “It is education, awareness. It is starting to understand obesity for what it is. It’s a disease, not a social problem.” Sidibe admits wrestling with her weight, going on her first diet at age 6. The road to being comfortable in her own skin came in her early 20’s. Gabourey Sidibe says, “One day I had to sit down with myself and decide that I loved myself no matter what my body looked like and what other people thought about my body.” , But Jenny Berryhill, a Farmers Branch woman who lost 60 pounds in 2 years, still worries about Sidibe’s health. So does her husband. Johnathan Berryhill says, “Is she going to be on medicine? What’s her quality of life going to be like, you know for her kids sake?”

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