Beanie Feldstein Would Like You to Stop Complimenting Her Body

In a refreshing new op-ed for Refinery 29. Broadway's Beanie Feldstein opens up about weight loss and the troubling enthusiasm which has led her to request that people stop complimenting her body.

Beanie, who is currently enjoying tremendous success promoting the hit film Lady Bird, describes a youth spent battling weight issues, Beanie reveals, "Throughout my childhood and adolescence, I really struggled with my weight. My family, doctors, and society at large were constantly telling me that I was too heavy, that I needed to exercise more, that I should be smaller. I was pushed into trying Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig... and I absolutely hated it. It affected me deeply."

Despite the influence of those around her, she explains, Beanie was able to transcend others expectations through awareness and self-love, "Once I stopped trying to get closer to what our society deems ideal, I felt free. I was so far from the norm that I felt no pressure to get anywhere close to it. Honestly, my body image was something I barely ever thought about."

Despite her confidence, however, Beanie has struggled with the reaction to a recent weight loss, the result of her grueling eight-show per week schedule in the Broadway mega-hit, Hello Dolly!

Describing the over the top reactions she has received as a result of her transformation, Beanie notes, "Last month, I went back to Los Angeles to visit my family during my week vacation from Hello, Dolly! and the comments on my thinner body started pouring in."

She continues, "After years of pain, I had finally found such a beautiful peace, one that most people, no matter what size they are, don't have. And all of those "compliments" took that away from me. After years of finally not feeling judged by myself or others, all of a sudden I felt so seen."

Reeling from all of the attention her body has received in recent weeks, Beanie has respectfully decided to request that, for better or for worse, folks stop commenting openly on her body.

She writes, "And so here's my simple request: Please stop complimenting me! A person's body changing is simply not clearance for you to talk about it. I know that nothing will truly change until we as a society are able to unravel the ingrained notion that thinness is ideal. However, I do hope that on a more interpersonal level, we can attempt to stop commenting on each other's bodies. Because sadly, I am here to tell you that even well-intentioned compliments can be upsetting."

Read her full essay at Refinery 29.