Chrissy Metz: ‘This Is Us’ Weight Loss War Isn’t Fat Logic Fail But Inspiration

Some might call it fat logic, but actress Chrissy Metz contends that her character Kate’s weight loss struggles on This Is Us should be viewed as inspiration rather than a failure. In contrast to films and TV shows that show overweight women trapped in weight wars in a way intended to send a message of hopelessness, Metz believes that This Is Us has taken a different tactic by offering an inspiring reality check.

Hollywood specializes in fantasy solutions, but Chrissy told TMZ that This Is Us offers a much-needed dose of reality through her TV persona. Talking with the media outlet at the London Hotel in New York City, Metz clarified why she believes in the benefits of Kate’s weight loss struggles.

Chrissy feels that all those attempts and failures from Kate to lose weight, such as her sudden desire to have weight loss surgery followed by hesitation, are a part of her journey on This Is Us. And Metz emphasized that many viewers identify with Kate in her battle of the bulge.

“We’re all in it together.”

Chrissy urges the audience not to view her This Is Us character’s repeated struggles without success as a failure but as an inspiration, according to the New York Daily News.

Clarifying her reasoning, Metz herself explained that she does not regard Kate’s weight loss struggles as disappointing or as signifying that her character has failed.

“I don’t think she’s failed at losing weight.”

Instead, the actress feels that her character on This Is Us “just has to make it more of a concerted effort.” Chrissy believes that’s precisely what Kate is attempting to do and elaborated on her theory that the character is inspiring.

“I think it inspires people because we’re all on different journeys and we all progress differently,” explained Metz. “When we’re all in it together I feel like… it’s a little more inspiring.”

This Is Us has shown Kate experimenting with different options for weight loss. She turned to a weight loss support group, temporarily evaluated undergoing gastric bypass surgery, and headed off to a weight loss camp.

Metz empathizes with her This Is Us character, revealing that she is traveling her own path to weight loss. Her motivation is to eliminate the limitations that can result from obesity.

“I do want to lose weight. I want to have a fit, healthy body and not have to be put in a box.”

Ultimately, added the actress, she does not “want to be limited by anything.” But while her character on This Is Us has considered weight loss surgery, Metz revealed that she has not contemplated that option. She also shared that she’s aware of all the dialogue among viewers about her weight.

“There have been so many discussions about my weight: How is she going to lose weight? Is she going to lose weight? When is she going to lose weight?” pointed out Chrissy, who views it all as “funny.”

Among those discussing Kate’s weight loss struggles on This Is Us, Reddit’s discussion boards have lit up with comments. The community devoted to discussing fat logic, for example, has probed into Chrissy’s TV persona.

“It’s clear that the character is extremely unhappy being overweight,” noted one commentator. “Now the fat logic part, there have been a ton of articles featuring Chrissy and, you guessed it, they are all praising her for [bringing] ‘real women” to TV.”

That commentator praised Metz as a “great actress” but expressed concern about her size.

“She’s got to be at least a size 30…Is this really what we want normalized?”

The separate This Is Us discussion community includes a confession from one commentator that Kate “grates on my nerves,” and others chimed in about the character’s weight loss struggles.

“She just seems self centered, isn’t very nice to the people around her, and doesn’t even seem to care about Toby the way he does her,” posted one person. “In the ‘fat camp’ she seems to be going through the motions but not that into it.”

Some, however, have defended Metz’s TV persona. One person pointed out that being “morbidly obese” can affect every aspect of life. For Kate, her weight has affected her relationships, her feelings about herself, and even her career.

But there’s a difference between the character on This Is Us and Chrissy herself. Metz told People that when she looks back on her life, she has “never been more grounded and happy to be who I am.” Chrissy pointed out that her weight opened the door for her breakout role.

“You have to use what you have, and I wouldn’t have this role if I had lost weight.”

Moreover, after a life that included struggling with her self-esteem as a child, Metz says she’s proud to have become a role model for body positivity.

[Featured Image by Rich Fury/Invision/AP Images]