Source: Joseph Okpako/Redferns; Scott Dudelson/Getty Images / Getty
Chicago rapper Cupcakke shared with fans over the weekend that she had done a water fast for the past month and wanted to show off her results. The 22-year-old star certainly looked much leaner than she has since stepping on the scene.
https://twitter.com/CupcakKe_rapper/status/1195884252530786304
It’s unclear what type of reaction she was hoping to receive for the images, but the “Squidward Nose” rapper ended up getting mixed reactions, as a number of people told her that encouraging a water fast in any way is dangerous and it doesn’t really work. One of the people to say that included English actress Jameela Jamil, known for being a body positivity activist, calling out celebs who promote unhealthy methods of weight loss, and for sharing her own story of recovering from an eating disorder as a teen.
“Please take this down. Most people reading this may not have the medical supervision or extensive knowledge needed to even TRY to attempt this safely,” she wrote. “The dangers are immense, and it will harm your metabolism, so isn’t even an effective tool for weight loss. It’s just very unsafe.”
“Sending you love and best wishes only,” she added. “We have way too much power and influence and we just need to try to be very careful with what we promote so that we don’t cause harm to the people who trust us.”
Other people also shared their concern over her fast of choice:
A water fast, according to Healthline, is exactly what it sounds like. You’re restricting your consumption of everything but water and the fast is known to be a quick way to lose weight. While there are some reported health benefits, including lowering of blood pressure and blood sugar, boosting of the metabolism and increasing one’s feeling of being full, there are dangers.
The weight lost may not be the beneficial type, with it instead being water weight, muscle mass and perhaps carbs instead of fat. Water fasting can worsen other medical conditions, including diabetes, heartburn and eating disorders. In addition, you may even find yourself struggling with dehydration, surprisingly, because a good chunk of the food you eat plays into your daily water intake. If you drink water but eat no food, you’re still missing plenty of what you need.
But more than anything, it seems the message people were trying to share with Cupcakke is that even if water fasting worked for her, it’s not something she should promote for fear that young fans and other impressionable individuals might go about it in an unsafe way.
The MC has gone through quite a few public ups and downs recently, including being admitted to a hospital earlier this year after she tweeted, “I’m about to commit suicide.” And back in September, she claimed that she was going to quit the industry not only because she felt bad about the sexual nature of her music, but also because she didn’t think she would ever really be embraced because of “my size, my shape, me having weight on me,” she said in an Instagram Live video. “I realize no matter what I put out, I will never be good enough for society.”
Seems she had a change of heart though, continuing her rap career and deciding to instead some extreme measures to slim down…
