Aamir Khan's daughter Ira is being trolled online for her outfit at the Mumbai marathon. Ira participated in the running event, wearing track shorts and a tank top, which is what most people wear while running. People seemingly didn't drag Ira for her outfit, but how heavy she looked in it. Ira has been in the public domain for years now and has candidly spoken about her struggle with weight fluctuations.

She has admitted to being "obese" and "unfit" on various occasions and how her body image issues continue to cause her "immense pain" and lack of confidence. Ira has also touched upon the various aspects of her lifestyle that have contributed to unchecked weight gain.  

Unhealthy relationship with food

Ira has revealed that she has had a complex relationship with food. "At the end of 2020, I was in a place where I didn't want to eat anything unless my mom or my doctor had said I could eat it. Even if it was home food, I would feel bad about eating it," she shared. Posting photos of her slimmer physique, Ira admitted that she was image conscious even when she was slender and would constantly "count calories" of every meal she ate. She also said that she stopped eating bread and tried other such food hacks as she was very weight conscious.  

"I would order loads of ice cream and eat it all and then feel really really sick afterwards. I remember waking up on certain days and really wanting to starve myself. Fortunately, I caught it and said to myself, 'No. You are not going to develop an eating disorder'. I would feel really horrible and also very scared to eat. I went to a fasting retreat and fasted for 17 days in a controlled environment. I felt extremely heavy and unfit and unable to move," Ira said.

It is important to note that what one eats on a regular basis decides their weight on the scale. Moreover, adopting restrictive diets, skipping meals and excluding entire food groups often contribute to an unhealthy relationship with food and lead to weight fluctuations.

Changing fitness goals and exercise routines

Ira is married to fitness coach Nupur. When Ira was self-admittedly struggling with body image issues, she trained with Nupur and achieved a fit body in 2020. However, she has also noted that she has often switched her workout plans, even hitting pause on her fitness routine for a long duration, which caused her to gain weight drastically.

"I was crying in the gym and I tried to shift between different types of workouts like functional and weight training. Three months into weight training, I was crying doing weight training. I stopped going to the gym and started playing football. I stopped playing football also and sort of shut down every sort of physical exercise. Things kept getting worse and before i knew it, I had gained 30 kgs," Ira shared.

Limiting physical exercise, be it gymming or sports, contributes significantly to weight gain. Add already exiting issues with food consumption, weight gain can happen quickly.

Slipped disc

Ira shared that she suffered from slipped disc in 2017-2019. This medical condition severely restricts physical exertion and leads to undesired weight gain. Reduced mobility commonly results in a more sedentary lifestyle and inability to exercise, which can lead to you gaining extra kilos.

Is depression a contributor in weight gain?

Ira has shared that she has been diagnosed with clinical depression. Depression tends to be more severe in obese people than non-obese. 

Moreover, people who are depressed are more likely to be obese and people with obesity are at higher risk of depression. Those who live with clinical depression, changes in eating can be long-term and lead to drastic weight gain or loss.