Sadie Robertson, widely recognized from “Duck Dynasty,” experienced a significant shift in public perception and personal body image following her participation in season 19 of “Dancing With the Stars” in 2014. The rigorous demands of the show led to a noticeable change in her physique, which unfortunately became a focal point for unsolicited comments and scrutiny, as she recently shared in an interview with “Entertainment Tonight.”
Robertson, now 23, revealed that the intense training for “Dancing With the Stars” resulted in a body she had never previously possessed. “During ‘Dancing With the Stars’ … I had this body that I never thought I’d have. I had a six-pack for two weeks,” she recounted. However, this physical peak was short-lived. “But then Thanksgiving hit and it went away. People started to comment,” she explained, noting that these remarks came from various sources, including family, friends, and social media followers.
Sadie Robertson DWTS Journey
Initially, the comments were positive, reflecting on her fitness transformation during her time on “Dancing With the Stars”. “They were such innocent comments at first, like, everything was great,” Robertson stated. However, as her body naturally changed after the show concluded, the tone shifted. “But whenever my body started looking a little different, that’s when the struggle came in.” She described encountering “really negative influences” who made “not uplifting” remarks about her appearance and pressured her to maintain an unrealistic physique. “It was so wrong. I was insecure at the time, so I believed them and thought, ‘Oh, I need to push it.'”
Her appearance on “Dancing With the Stars” coincided with her foray into modeling at the young age of 17, further amplifying the body image pressures. The modeling industry’s standards intensified the criticism, with people suggesting she needed to lose weight to be considered a “real model.” Robertson recalled, “People would say things like, ‘Oh, if you lost 10 more pounds, you would look like a real model.’ I was literally 115 pounds and already unhealthy. That just messed my mind up.” These experiences contributed to a distorted perception of her own body.
This period led to what Robertson described as “a really unhealthy view” of her body. The constant self-scrutiny became all-consuming. “You can’t stop thinking about your body, how you look, how you should eat,” she elaborated. The obsession with calories and body measurements took over her thoughts. “You’re counting the calories, you’re sizing up your legs and all those different things. You’re just kind of completely gripped by it, and that’s kind of where I was. I would look at myself in the mirror and I would think, ‘I’m fat,’ and I was not at all.”
Robertson recognized the broader impact of her struggles, noting that such issues extend beyond the individual. “You don’t realize (at the time) that the things you’re struggling with, you think it’s just about you, but actually it affects a lot of other people around you,” she said. Her journey with body image issues and overcoming an eating disorder has been a testament to her resilience and faith.
公开ly addressing her past challenges, Robertson had previously shared her battle with an eating disorder in a 2017 blog post. In her recent interview, she emphasized the pivotal role of her faith in her recovery. “I pretty much just took the word as it was from the Bible. It talks about how you’re beautifully and wonderfully created,” Robertson explained. Shifting her focus from self-criticism to gratitude, she began to appreciate her body for its capabilities. “I started praising God and thanking him for the way that I looked, instead of looking in the mirror and saying, ‘Ugh, I wish my arms were thinner, I wish my legs were more toned, I wish I had her eyebrows.’ … whatever it was that I would tell myself.”
This change in perspective involved acknowledging her body’s functions and purpose. “Instead I would tell myself, ‘I am so thankful that I have this. I’m so thankful that my legs actually serve the purpose that they should and that they’re able to run, that my arms are able to carry things. That my stomach one day, hopefully, will be able to carry a baby.’ Just what we’re actually designed and created for.” This faith-based approach helped her redirect her thoughts outwards. “It definitely made me stop thinking about myself as much,” she said. “It allowed me to be able to think of others, and how I can serve them with the body I’ve been given.”
Her faith continued to be a guiding force as her life underwent a “dramatic” transformation after “Dancing With the Stars,” where she reached a massive audience of 20 million viewers weekly. This sudden fame brought new insecurities. “I started struggling with a lot of insecurity of who I was because of a lot of people telling me who I am and not really feeling like that was me,” she confessed. Navigating this newfound fame was challenging. “I remember thinking these thoughts, like, ‘I don’t know how to be that famous girl that everybody loves and follows on Instagram.'” In moments of doubt, she turned to prayer. “I remember praying and saying, ‘God, I think you chose the wrong person. This makes me nervous. This makes me insecure. This is not something I’m thriving in.'”
Through prayer and reflection, she found a renewed sense of purpose. “I just felt like God was saying, ‘I’m not calling you to be this perfect person. I’m actually just calling you to be a sister and a friend to those who don’t have a sister and a friend,'” she shared. This realization instilled confidence and direction. “I can be confident because I was created on purpose for a purpose.” This newfound conviction empowered her. “All of a sudden I was so empowered to do everything that I’m doing now,” she concluded. “That’s just my story, but man, that’s why my faith is so important to me.”
