Miss Universe Harnaaz Sandhu Calls Out Fat Bullies Over Celiac Disease

Celiac.com 04/12/2022 - Fresh off the catwalk at Lakme Fashion Week, where she wowed audiences with the work of designer duo Shivan and Narresh, Miss Universe 2021, Harnaaz Sandhu, took a minute to call out those who trolled her for gaining weight.

“Many people do not know I am allergic to gluten. I’m one of those individuals who was first bullied that ‘she’s too skinny’ and now they bully me by saying ‘she’s fat’. Nobody knows about my celiac disease. That I can’t eat wheat flour and many other things,” she told the Press Trust of India (PTI).

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Further, she explained how one’s body undergoes a host of changes due to geographic changes. “When you go to a village, you see changes in your body. And I went to New York for the very first time, it’s is a whole other world altogether.”

As a Smile Train Ambassador, Miss Sandhu has worked to use her celebrity to turn the spotlight to the needs and struggles of others. She recently traveled to Smile Train partner hospital National Heart Institute in Delhi where she met with surgeons, cleft patients and their families, and witnessed a life-changing cleft surgery.

While being underweight has been a classic symptom of celiac disease, being overweight is also common, especially among those diagnosed as adults.

Miss Sandhu's experience with weight bullies is nothing new, and hopefully her public announcement of her celiac disease can help to inform and encourage others, and to shine a light on the ongoing struggle against body critics and shame of all kinds. With or without celiac disease, you don't have to be thin to take care of yourself, stay healthy, and, as Miss Sandhu shows, be beautiful.

That's certainly a message to celebrate.

ALSO READ: Miss Universe 2021 flashback: Harnaaz Sandhu shares her ‘favorite looks from the incredible journey’

Celiac Disease Symptoms
While some symptoms such as weight loss, diarrhea and constipation among others are common in both adults and children, symptoms can vary by age and individual, and include:

Common Celiac Disease Symptoms In Adults

• Abdominal pain
• Anemia
• Bone or joint pain
• Heartburn
• Dermatitis, herpetiformis
• Headaches or fatigue
• Mouth ulcers
• Nausea
• Nervous system injury
• Numbness or tingling hands or feet

Common Celiac Disease Symptoms In Children

• Bloating or belly swelling
• Constipation
• Diarrhea
• Pale, foul-smelling poop
• Upset stomach or vomiting
• Weight loss
   

How does celiac disease impact a person's weight?

Celiac.com has done a number of articles on celiac disease, overweight, and obesity. 

One key takeaway is that, while many people with celiac disease are underweight, normal and overweight people can also have celiac disease. In fact, one study found that nearly half of new celiacs are overweight at the time of diagnosis.

Read more in the Indian Express