Mom Tries to Lose Pregnancy Weight like a Celebrity

Unlocking Word Meanings
Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.

1. in the limelight (idiom) [lahym-lahyt] – at the center of people’s attention

Example: The students were in the limelight after winning the international contest.

2. tabloid (n.) [tab-loid] – a smaller form of newspaper, usually containing shorter news articles

Example: He prefers reading a regular newspaper rather than a tabloid.

3. endorser (n.) [en-dawr-ser] – someone who strongly approves, supports or promotes a product

Example: Celebrity endorsers of the new fashion brand wore the designer’s clothes.

4. session (n.) [sesh-uh n] – a meeting in which people perform a certain activity

Example: We attended a fitness session to learn the benefits of exercise.

5. prescribe (v.) [pri-skrahyb] – to give official order or permission for one person to use  a particular medicine

Example: The doctor prescribed a cough medicine to his patient.

Article
Read the text below.

In the US, celebrity moms have been in the limelight lately for their success or failure to lose weight after pregnancy. The topic has become so popular that Tracie Egan Morrissey, a 33-year-old mother and blogger, wanted to prove whether celebrities’ weight loss methods are really effective. As an experiment, Morrissey, who had to lose 80 pounds (36.3 kg) of pregnancy weight, decided to follow celebrities’ weight-loss plans that she had read about in tabloids. First, she tried a meal delivery plan wherein five calorie-controlled meals were delivered to her daily for $1,282.33 per month. She was able to lose 15 pounds through this program, but she stopped it after a month because it was too expensive. She then subscribed to Weight Watchers, a weight-loss program with many celebrity endorsers, for $56.86 for 2 months while spending $300 separately on frozen meals.  The program, however, did not work well for her. Two months after giving birth, she started exercise sessions in a gym with a personal trainer, which cost her $5,160 for 11 months. In total, she spent $7,800 on the different methods she tried, including weight loss pills prescribed by a doctor. After 13 months, she is almost at her goal weight. But she realized that losing weight was not as easy as how celebrities make it seem. Unlike celebrities, Morrissey has a full-time job and cannot afford exercising with a trainer every day. She believes celebrities do more than what is written in tabloids, and they have more money and time for weight-loss training and programs.

Viewpoint Discussion
Enjoy a discussion with your tutor. 

Discussion A

·         Why do you think many people feel pressured to look as good as celebrities?

·         Do you think that only people with a lot of money can look good? What else can people do to keep a good appearance?

Discussion B

·         Do you think a person’s weight or general appearance is important? Why or why not?

·         What can you say about those people who always worry about their weight or looks?

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