Celebrity Rapid Weight Loss

What is Rapid Weight Loss?

Carnie Wilson in 2003.

Losing a large amount of weight in a short period of time constitutes rapid weight loss. Normally, this isn't done "naturally" through exercise and healthy eating. It's usually achieved with the aid of weight-loss drugs, surgery or fad diets. There are, however, several celebrities who have taken these routes to achieve weight-loss success. For some, it's been beneficial to have new, slender selves. But for other superstars, rapid weight loss all but ruined their careers.

Carnie Wilson

There's nothing like having weight-loss surgery and allowing it to be broadcast over the Internet. That's what Wilson Phillips singer Carnie Wilson did in 1999. In an attempt to once and for all shed the 150 or so extra pounds that her body was carrying, she underwent gastric bypass surgery. She lost the majority of her weight the first year after the surgery, and spent the next few years learning to live in a thinner, healthier body.

But did the surgery alone work? Not really. In 2006, she appeared on VH1's Celebrity Fit Club 4 because she had started to gain some her weight back. Granted, she had a baby a year earlier, but even a year or so after her daughter was born, Wilson still needed to shed 40 pounds. The results? After 100 days on the show, Wilson lost 22 pounds. Her career? In 2006, she released her solo CD, A Mother's Gift...Lullabies From The Heart.

Star Jones Reynolds

What hasn't been said about Star Jones Reynolds' rapid weight loss? In August 2003, the former co-host of The View underwent a gastric bypass procedure. At that time, she topped the scales at 307 pounds and said she was just ready to lose the weight. Her surgery, along with diet and exercise, helped her shed 160 pounds and has now made her almost completely unrecognizable when compared to her former self.

But she made one critical move that may have stalled her career -- she wasn't truthful about how she lost all of her weight. It wasn't until four years after the surgery that Jones Reynolds came clean in Glamour about her weight loss. Did it ruin her career? Some critics will say yes. Her popularity declined on The View and after she was fired from the show in 2006, Jones Reynolds, an attorney, went on a one-year hiatus. She returned to television in August 2007 as host of her own show on Court TV. Some are wondering if this was a step up or down from co-hosting on The View.

Randy Jackson

Randy Jackson in 2005 after losing about 100 pounds.

It isn't often that you hear about male celebrity rapid weight loss. That's because not many guys have undergone procedures to lighten their loads. Well, that's not the case with American Idol judge Randy Jackson. In 2003, "The Dawg" underwent a highly publicized gastric bypass surgery that helped him lose more than 100 pounds. When fans turned on the third season of American Idol, they noticed about one-third of Jackson was missing.

Why did he lose the weight? Jackson said he was having serious "issues" about becoming a diabetic. He knew it was time for a change. Did surgery help his career? It seems that after the initial shock and gossip surrounding Jackson's weight-loss surgery was over, it was business as usual for this record executive.

Anna Nicole Smith

When Anna Nicole Smith's autopsy results were released, it said her February 8, 2007 death was from an accidental overdose of "methadone, anti-anxiety and weight-reducing drugs and, possibly, vitamins, among other substances." In other words, diet pills could have contributed to her death. In 2003, Smith became a spokesmodel for TrimSpa weight-loss pills after shedding about 70 pounds and looking like a shell of her former self.

Did losing weight help her career? No. After the publicity of her weight-loss died down, Smith really only made headlines when it came to her unusual behavior in public, a lawsuit with TrimSpa, the paternity of her daughter or the death of her son.

Other Celebrities Who Have Lost a Lot of Weight

In 2007, Kelly Osbourne dropped 30 pounds.

There are many celebrities who have lost a lot of weight -- some rather quickly, while others over time. Here are some of the more notable celebrity rapid weight losses:

• Sara Rue -- Talk about unrecognizable! This Less Than Perfect star dropped 30 pounds through diet and exercise.
• Kelly and Jack Osbourne -- These two children of rock legend Ozzy Osbourne each decided that the cute, chubby kid act was getting old. In 2005, Jack Osbourne lost about 70 pounds by giving up drinking and drugs, and by eating healthy and exercising. His sister, Kelly, has also become a starlet in her own right. However, she said a thyroid problem is the cause of her rapid weight loss of 30 pounds.
• Courtney Love -- Through the use of diet shakes, singer and actress Courtney Love lost 45 pounds in four months. According to Us magazine, she also gave up carbs, and was eating fish, vegetables and doing yoga.
• Ricki Lake -- After struggling with her weight for almost 20 years, former talk show host Ricki Lake learned to lose weight the right way -- with diet and exercise. And it took a long time to shed those pounds -- except for the last 25 or so. From February 2007 to April 2007, Lake lost 27 pounds while ordering her meals from Fresh Dining.

How Much Is too Much?

All of the stars noted had large amounts of weight to lose. Each was either teetering on the edge of morbid obesity or was already there. For some, the excess weight was becoming life-threatening, so they had no choice but to lose it. But did they go overboard? Any doctor will tell you there is a fine line between losing too much weight too fast and eating disorders. Is thin really in again?