“Learn to have more empathy for others and know that you never really know the whole story.”
Gigi Hadid is calling time on constant discussion over her body.
The half-Palestinian model has revealed her health battles have been the cause of any change in her shape in a heartfelt message, as she pleaded for those on social media to have “empathy for others”.
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The 22-year-old addressed her 8.5 million Twitter followers on Sunday in multiple posts, particularly “those of you so determined to come up with why my body has changed over the years”.
“You may not know that when I started [modelling] at 17 I was not yet diagnosed with Hashimoto’s disease,” Hadid wrote.
“Those of you who called me ‘too big for the industry’ were seeing inflammation and water retention due to that.”
Hashimoto’s—also known as chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis—is a condition in which the immune system attacks the thyroid, and often leads to an underactive thyroid gland.
Over the last few years I’ve been properly medicated to help symptoms including those, as well as extreme fatigue, metabolism issues, body’s ability to retain heat, etc … I was also part of a holistic medical trial that helped my thyroid levels balance out.
— Gigi Hadid (@GiGiHadid) February 11, 2018
The disease can result in multiple symptoms, including sluggishness, pale skin, brittle nails, hair loss and joint pain.
Hadid added that she had suffered from “extreme fatigue and metabolism issues”, and has been taking medication to ease such symptoms.
“Although stress and excessive travel can also affect the body, I have always eaten the same,” the model stated. “My body just handles it differently now that my health is better.
“I may be ‘too skinny’ for you—honestly this skinny isn’t what I want to be—but I feel healthier internally and am still learning and growing with my body every day, as everyone is.”
Please, as social media users & human beings in general, learn to have more empathy for others and know that you never really know the whole story. Use your energy to lift those that you admire rather than be cruel to those u don’t.
— Gigi Hadid (@GiGiHadid) February 11, 2018
Putting a pin in further debate, Hadid added that she “will not further explain the way my body looks, just as anyone with a body type that doesn’t suit your ‘beauty’ expectation shouldn’t have to”.
The model, who was born Jelena Noura Hadid, signed off by urging her fans “as social media users and human beings in general, learn to have more empathy for others and know that you never really know the whole story”.
“Use your energy to lift those that you admire rather than be cruel to those you don’t.”
We couldn’t agree with that more.
Her messages, which garnered tens of thousands of likes, were also retweeted by her younger sister Bella.
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Hadid first opened up about her health battles in 2016, telling ELLE magazine “my metabolism actually changed like crazy this year”.
“I have Hashimoto’s disease. It’s a thyroid disease, and it’s now been two years since taking the medication for it.”
Images: Getty, Gigi Hadid/Instagram
