How Queen Latifah Champions The Truth In The Fight Against Obesity Stigma

For decades, Queen Latifah’s presence on screens and stages has represented body positivity and diversity in an industry where the beauty standards can be anything but realistic. Along with her consistent representation, the multihyphenate has always used her platform to make an impact and inform even beyond entertainment, and her latest initiative is life-changing.

In April, Latifah partnered with Novo Nordisk to launch their latest initiative, TruthAboutWeight.com. The platform is a digital resource that empowers individuals to take control of their health, particularly in weight management.

Latifah has been a partner with the pharmaceutical company since 2021, with the aim of shifting the public’s perception, removing stigmas about obesity and shedding light on obesity’s connection to heart disease.

“I just wanted to be a part of making that change,” Latifah told Blavity in an interview.

She revealed she was more than happy to lend her image and voice to the campaign, knowing it intended to “create something that can help people live a better life, live a healthier life and a happier life.”

Her willingness to help spread the information is rooted in her personal health journey as well as seeing the outcome of the struggles within her family. “I watched my cousin go through a lot of things,” Latifah said of her family member who lost her battle with obesity at 35 years old.

She discussed the accommodations her cousin made in her life due to her weight and how her love for her eight children would cause her to put her health on the back burner.

“I know she faced so many health challenges,” she said. Latifah opened up about the many attempts her cousin and her health care providers took to help her with her challenges. “They did their best to try to take care of her and got her back on her feet and got her home many times. It was just a constant battle that she had to face.”

Along with shedding light on health issues associated with obesity, Latifah said her partnership with Novo Nordisk addresses the mental and emotional toll the disease can have on someone.

“The commentary may have been funny at some point in time, and someone didn’t mean any harm necessarily. They thought they were helping, but they were really hurting someone’s feelings and not being helpful at all — pushing some people deeper into a hole of loneliness that you can be in when you’re living with obesity,” she said.

TruthAboutWeight.com’s easy-to-use platform provides users with clear information about supporting their health journey, including how to calculate their BMI, the role of hormonal changes, and cultural aspects that influence our relationships with food and our bodies. The website also features testimonials from real people who have faced or are currently facing obesity, offering inspiration to others and helping to alleviate feelings of isolation in the fight. Approximately two out of five adults in the United States are living with obesity, and, for most people, it’s challenging to not only keep the weight off but also start the journey to do so. The website provides users with guidance on how to collaborate with their health care providers to ensure they are asking the right questions and receiving the necessary support.

“There was a time when we all thought doctors knew everything. Doctors don’t always know everything, but they can access the information,” Latifah said, later adding, “We have to be brave in that moment because we do have to open up and ask what may be very uncomfortable for us.”

Latifah’s partnership with Novo Nordisk and TruthAboutWeight.com is an example of the same empathy and understanding that was instilled in her as a young child, which prepared her to take on Hollywood even when she didn’t fit the conventional mold.

“I come from such a big, beautiful family that had a lot of aunts and uncles and grandparents. They really instilled a lot of strength and love in me, and I reciprocate that love and strength in myself as a human being.”