Welcome to the Laverne Cox Show, a production of Shondaland audio in partnership with IHeart Radio.

I ate only, like, lettuce and toast for three months. And then I remember going to my doctor after that summer, and I had changed sizes pretty

radically.

Clearly, that's what happens when you don't eat anything.

And he just said, congratulations.

And if you just keep losing weight, maybe you can date one of my sons.

And there was no question of this child on the verge of pubescence.

Like, what's going on? Why are you, what are you doing

differently? This is alarming. There was just none of that from anybody.

Hello, everyone. I'm Laverne Cox, and welcome to the Laverne Cox Show.

On this episode, we're discussing fat phobia and diet culture.

Now, as an actress, I've been very lucky that I've worked on productions where no one's ever

asked me to lose weight and I haven't ever been body shamed in the context of my acting work. But when it comes to

fashion and red carpets and magazine shoots, it's nothing very different. When I've had photo

shoots, particularly for higher fashion magazines, I've gone in and there have not been clothes that

fit me. And I'm generally a size 10 or 12.

Occasionally I've been a size 8,

but my weight has probably fluctuated within 30 pounds

since I've been in the public eye.

It is very difficult not to internalize feelings of being less than

because I'm not sample size.

But what changed my perspective on all of this was the work of my guest today, Virgie Tobar.

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