Gigi Hadid claps back at body shamers, reveals disease that has affected her appearance
— -- Supermodel Gigi Hadid clapped back at online body shamers Sunday night when she took to social media to reveal she has Hashimoto's disease, which she said used to affect her looks.
"For those of you so determined to come up w why my body has changed over the years, you may not know that when I started @ 17 I was not yet diagnosed w/Hashimoto’s disease; those of u who called me 'too big for the industry' were seeing inflammation & water retention due to that," she wrote on Twitter.
Hashimoto's disease is a condition in which the body's immune system attacks the thyroid, according to the Mayo Clinic. Symptoms can include fatigue, pain, muscle weakness and unexplained weight gain.
Hadid, now 22, said that since her diagnosis, she's taken medication and "was also part of a holistic medical trial that helped my thyroid levels balance out."
Her next tweet seemed to be aimed at those now calling the Victoria Secret's star too skinny.
"Although stress & excessive travel can also affect the body, I have always eaten the same, my body just handles it differently now that my health is better. I may be 'too skinny' for u, honestly this skinny isn’t what I want to be, but I feel healthier internally and am still learning and growing with my body everyday, as everyone is," she continued.
She added a request to all critics on social media to not judge her, now that they know the "whole story."
"I will not further explain the way my body looks, just as anyone, with a body type that doesnt suit ur 'beauty' expectation, shouldnt have to. Not to judge others, but drugs are not my thing, stop putting me in that box just because u dont understand the way my body has matured," she wrote.
Fellow models like Karlie Kloss showed support with posts responding to Hadid. Some fans also posted heartfelt messages about embracing their own bodies.
Hadid has been an active model since 2013 and has appeared in the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, on the cover of Vogue and in other places.
