Dr Zoe Williams says there’s ‘an air of suspicion’ with Will Smith weight loss

This Morning’s Dr. Zoe Williams has spoken out about Will Smith’s recent social media posts in which he has vowed to lose his pandemic weight.

Dr. Zoe, 41, thinks the Hollywood actor may have shared the snaps of his weight gain as a way to kick off a new career path as a “fitness influencer”.

Speaking exclusively to The Mirror, Dr. Zoe said: “There is an air of suspicion for me that he’s obviously doing a collaboration with YouTube.

“Whilst I think in lots of ways it’s really empowering to see that even Will Smith can one, put on a little bit of weight during lockdown and two, talk about it so openly without it being a negative or a big deal, I think that’s highly motivating and inspiring for many people who are probably in a similar situation.

“And he’s looking at a long term plan, he’s trying to lose weight gradually and get fitter and healthier.”

The mum-to-be continued: “The sceptic part of me thinks it’s all just a big Youtube… sort of encouraged him to gain the weight in the first place.

“Is he gonna go into being a fitness influencer and this is how he’s kicking it all off?” the This Morning star added.

“But you know, if he’s doing it in a way that’s healthy and he’s taking people along with him for the ride, and I’ve seen pictures that he’s also posted of loads of other men who are in a similar situation and on this journey to get healthier with him.

“So if he’s using his fame to encourage others to get healthier then I can definitely see the good in that.”

Dr. Zoe went on to say: “I think one of the real positives in it is he’s kind of owning it.

“He’s gained some weight. I think after the year we’ve been through, if people have gained some weight it’s not a big disaster, it’s not the end of the world.

“Of course it’s important to maintain as healthy weight as possible, but after the year we’ve been through, the mental health trauma, for some people the financial difficulty, the impact it’s had potentially on our sleep, what we’ve eaten, our stress levels, our relationships, we should remember that weight gain is only a small part of the puzzle and not beat ourselves up over it.”

New research carried out by LloydsPharmacy has identified that 41 percent of British adults admit they have put on weight, with the average gaining nearly a stone in weight since lockdown began, with those aged 25-34 and 45-54 years old seeing the biggest increase.

Furthermore, 43 percent of those who have gained weight during lockdown admitted that they have been eating more as a result of increased stress, anxiety and/or low mood caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

And 48 percent of the people questioned said they had less motivation to exercise during the pandemic, and one in five blame their weight gain on drinking more alcohol or ordering more takeaways.

Asked what she thinks is the best way to start working towards living a healthier lifestyle, Dr. Zoe said: “My advice on this is always remember that your health is made up of a number of different lifestyle factors: what you eat, how much exercise you do, how well you’re sleeping, your relationships and how stressed you are.

“If your aim is to be healthier, and losing weight may be a way to be healthier, but actually all of those things I just mentioned, there are ways to focus on each other. People can get very overwhelmed when they try and do everything at once.”

She added: “Take an approach towards improving your health, rather than specifically losing the weight. Do the things that bring you joy, stop focusing on the things that are really difficult and negative and depriving yourself.”

LloydsPharmacy Chief Superintendent Pharmacist, Victoria Steele added: “It has been an extremely difficult and stressful year, it can be easy for people to lose motivation when it comes to staying fit and healthy.

“However, being overweight can have a detrimental impact on your overall health. Therefore, it is so important we prioritise taking steps towards leading a healthier lifestyle as we emerge from lockdown, especially for those with a higher BMI or diagnosed with obesity.

“Our medicated weight loss service in conjunction with an improved diet and exercise is proven to support healthy weight loss and is there to provide accessible tools for those who need additional help.”

Dr Zoe Williams is supporting LloydsPharmacy’s weight loss campaign which aims to support those living with obesity to live a healthier life. Click here to find out more about LloydsPharmacy’s Medicated Weight Loss Service.