Taapsee Pannu says slight bulge is healthy, warns women against chasing flat belly
Taapsee Pannu said she once overworked herself while chasing a flat midriff. She urged women to accept natural belly fat and avoid social media-driven scrutiny.
Actor Taapsee Pannu has spoken about the pressure to achieve a perfectly flat midriff, saying she once pushed herself too hard in pursuit of an ideal body image. She urged women to embrace their bodies and avoid extreme measures only for picture-perfect social media photographs.
Taapsee Pannu on struggles with lower belly fat
On Sunday, Taapsee shared a series of posts on Instagram Stories in which she reflected on her own experience and said she realised late that some amount of fat and water retention under the belly is healthy. She also said women should not expect their bodies to look the same every day because of hormonal changes.
Recalling her own obsession with having a flat midriff, Taapsee said, "I remember I had this obsession because while growing up, I was extremely fit, but I never understood why the lower belly fat always stayed. I worked out intensely almost to an extent that I over pushed myself, and rightly said, when you over push yourself, it rings an alarm in your brain that your body needs protection."
She highlighted that overworking out can have the opposite effect. "So instead of actually losing water retention, the body starts retaining it and then that lower belly fat, which might actually not just be fat, it’s also water retention, it stays, and it increases by overworking out, which I really believe people should not do," the actor added.
Taapsee Pannu on the trap of comparison
Taapsee went on to say that every woman has a different body and that comparing one midriff to another is unrealistic. She said, "It cannot look like any other girl, so you need to accept this. I accepted it very late after really torturing myself, and then I realised that there are some days it happens and there are some days it doesn’t happen."
The actor emphasised the biological purpose behind targeted body fat. She shared that her nutritionist, Munmun Ganeriwal, pointed out how essential it is to have a small amount of fat and water retention beneath the belly.
Taapsee Pannu highlights the importance of reproductive health
Taapsee stressed on the physical trait as a vital defense mechanism rather than a flaw, adding, "because that’s where your reproductive organs are, and they need protection, and by virtue of being a woman, you need that protection."
She also made an appeal against chasing unrealistic body standards for photographs. "It's healthy for you. So just to get those picture-perfect Instagram pictures, please don't torture yourself. It's supposed to be healthy to have that little bit of bulge and have that fat there. Please don't torture yourself," the actor said, reiterating that a slight bulge is healthy and should not be a cause for self-pressure.
Taapsee Pannu on body positivity, self-love
Advocating for self-love, the actor wrapped up her thoughts with an earnest plea to stop chasing unattainable aesthetic goals for social media. She emphasised that a natural layer of protection is completely healthy, urging her followers not to torture themselves "just to get those picture-perfect Instagram pictures."
Reminding everyone that fitness shouldn't come at the cost of well-being, Taapsee mentioned that a slight belly bulge is a normal biological trait. Reassuring women to let go of the pressure, she added, "It's supposed to be healthy to have that little bit of bulge and have that fat there. Please don't torture yourself."
Taapsee was last seen in director Anubhav Sinha's courtroom-drama Assi, featuring Kani Kasturi, Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub and others in key roles.
The actor will next feature in Gandhari, a revenge drama directed by Devashish Makhija and backed by Kanika Dhillon’s Katha Pictures, set to premiere on Netflix.
Actor Taapsee Pannu has spoken about the pressure to achieve a perfectly flat midriff, saying she once pushed herself too hard in pursuit of an ideal body image. She urged women to embrace their bodies and avoid extreme measures only for picture-perfect social media photographs.
Taapsee Pannu on struggles with lower belly fat
On Sunday, Taapsee shared a series of posts on Instagram Stories in which she reflected on her own experience and said she realised late that some amount of fat and water retention under the belly is healthy. She also said women should not expect their bodies to look the same every day because of hormonal changes.
Recalling her own obsession with having a flat midriff, Taapsee said, "I remember I had this obsession because while growing up, I was extremely fit, but I never understood why the lower belly fat always stayed. I worked out intensely almost to an extent that I over pushed myself, and rightly said, when you over push yourself, it rings an alarm in your brain that your body needs protection."
She highlighted that overworking out can have the opposite effect. "So instead of actually losing water retention, the body starts retaining it and then that lower belly fat, which might actually not just be fat, it’s also water retention, it stays, and it increases by overworking out, which I really believe people should not do," the actor added.
Taapsee Pannu on the trap of comparison
Taapsee went on to say that every woman has a different body and that comparing one midriff to another is unrealistic. She said, "It cannot look like any other girl, so you need to accept this. I accepted it very late after really torturing myself, and then I realised that there are some days it happens and there are some days it doesn’t happen."
The actor emphasised the biological purpose behind targeted body fat. She shared that her nutritionist, Munmun Ganeriwal, pointed out how essential it is to have a small amount of fat and water retention beneath the belly.
Taapsee Pannu highlights the importance of reproductive health
Taapsee stressed on the physical trait as a vital defense mechanism rather than a flaw, adding, "because that’s where your reproductive organs are, and they need protection, and by virtue of being a woman, you need that protection."
She also made an appeal against chasing unrealistic body standards for photographs. "It's healthy for you. So just to get those picture-perfect Instagram pictures, please don't torture yourself. It's supposed to be healthy to have that little bit of bulge and have that fat there. Please don't torture yourself," the actor said, reiterating that a slight bulge is healthy and should not be a cause for self-pressure.
Taapsee Pannu on body positivity, self-love
Advocating for self-love, the actor wrapped up her thoughts with an earnest plea to stop chasing unattainable aesthetic goals for social media. She emphasised that a natural layer of protection is completely healthy, urging her followers not to torture themselves "just to get those picture-perfect Instagram pictures."
Reminding everyone that fitness shouldn't come at the cost of well-being, Taapsee mentioned that a slight belly bulge is a normal biological trait. Reassuring women to let go of the pressure, she added, "It's supposed to be healthy to have that little bit of bulge and have that fat there. Please don't torture yourself."
Taapsee was last seen in director Anubhav Sinha's courtroom-drama Assi, featuring Kani Kasturi, Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub and others in key roles.
The actor will next feature in Gandhari, a revenge drama directed by Devashish Makhija and backed by Kanika Dhillon’s Katha Pictures, set to premiere on Netflix.
