Sasha Pieterse’s weight gain of about 70 pounds was highly distressing, making her the target of countless body-shaming remarks. The fact that Alison DiLaurentis from Pretty Little Liars could not explain her weight increase did not help. Sasha Pieterse was eventually diagnosed with PCOS, and she has been outspoken about the condition ever since.
Sasha Pieterse is an American actress, singer, and songwriter of South African descent. Most people know her from her portrayal of Alison DiLaurentis in the Freeform television series Pretty Little Liars and its spin-off Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists.
After the popularity of Pretty Little Liars, she was cast in the 2011 Disney Channel film Geek Charming as the supporting character Amy Loubalu. She appeared in the teen comedy film G.B.F. in 2013. She also participated in the 2017 Dancing with the Stars 25th season, where she placed 10th.
During her stint on Dancing with the Stars, she revealed that her PCOS-related weight gain was a source of the difficulty. Since being diagnosed with PCOS, she has been quite upfront about the difficulties it causes. Here are the specifics of Sasha Pieterse’s 70-pound weight increase in just two years and weight decrease in subsequent years!
Alison DiLaurentis from Pretty Little Liars Gained Weight Due To PCOS; Sasha Pieterse Has Since Lost Weight, Before and After Photographs!
Sasha Pieterse (@sashapieterse) suffered greatly with her physique and physical around three years ago when she gained more than 70 pounds (32 kg) in two years.
The day when Sasha Pieterse gained weight was an experience she would never forget. Because she was bullied for being overweight, she would never forget what transpired as she grew up. The media speculated about her health, and everyone wondered why Alison DiLaurentis gained weight in Pretty Little Liars. What caused her to acquire so much weight? After gaining weight, she experienced a great deal of misery.
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This remained in Sasha Pieterse’s mind for some time. In her practice video for the American version of Dancing with the Stars, she sobbed about her weight gain long after the bullying episode. During that week, she was dancing to the upbeat self-love song Most Girls by Hailee Steinfeld, which appeared to be a trigger for her. She stated:
I adore the song because it speaks to what I’ve been through and now going through. I gained over 70 pounds over two years, and the responses I received were quite unpleasant. They said, “She’s pregnant,” and “You’re overweight.” They were upset and displeased with my appearance—one of the most challenging situations I’ve ever encountered.
Sasha Pieterse struggled not just because of how others reacted to her weight increase but also because she was confused by the entire situation. What caused her to acquire so much weight? She could not wait for the life of her to figure out why she was growing and gaining so much weight while not having altered her diet or lifestyle. All she knew was that she had irregular periods, gained weight, and found it increasingly difficult to shed weight, all of which sounded relatively typical depending on a person’s lifestyle, but she had not altered her own.
Sasha Pieterse had no understanding of what was happening and no means to solve the problem. She then consulted a physician about her symptoms and was diagnosed with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), a hormonal imbalance that affects around 10% of women. PCOS was responsible for her puzzling weight increase, giving her extreme anxiety.
PCOS is a hormone imbalance that can produce irregular and extended periods and excess male hormones that can cause excessive facial and body hair, severe acne, and hair loss. Due to PCOS, Sasha Pieterse has been dealing with her physique and weight gain. Since she made this discovery and could finally explain her weight increase, She felt a burden had been removed from her shoulders. She stated:
I now understood why this was occurring. I feel as though I’ve always been cheerful, and I’ve been so fortunate to have an incredible family and group of friends. But I don’t know; I went through a difficult time, so honestly, feeling like myself again means the world.
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Even though she was aware that PCOS is a major condition that may lead to ovarian cancer, breast cancer, and thyroid problems that might be prevented, the Pretty Little Liars cast was undoubtedly glad when the reason for her weight increase was identified. She concluded that more than half of the ladies had it, but most were unaware. To assist other women in coping with her problem, she became louder and more upfront about it.
Sasha Pieterse wants women to focus more on self-love as their bodies endure the effects of PCOS. She prayed that no one else would have to endure the period she did when she was body-shamed for her weight gain when she was already battling with her body.
Sasha Pieterse has dropped a substantial amount of weight in the years since then; therefore, her circumstances have shifted. She lost a substantial amount of the weight she had acquired during her time on Dancing with the Stars, most likely because those nonstop dancing sessions burned many calories. In the show’s clip, she stated that it had not been an easy journey but that the ability to focus on getting herself well again and finally seeing results and getting better was all she could ask for.
Even though Sasha Pieterse was removed from Dancing with the Stars early in the fourth week, one positive result was the reversal of her PCOS-induced weight gain. In just a few weeks after she began heel-kicking with partner Gleb Savchenko on the show, she lost significant weight. She disclosed,
At this point in the tournament, I had shed 37 pounds. It is very amazing.
Her social media accounts are: Instagram, Youtube, Facebook.
