Fat chances

VELASQUEZ. The South Beach diet is doing the trick for her.

Many overweight stars promise to diet to get back into shooting trim, but only a determined few actually shed those unwanted pounds. Well, the weak-willed procrastinators should learn a lesson or two from Regine Velasquez, who has lost an impressive amount of her “pregnancy padding,” and has resumed shooting scenes for her long-delayed film with Aga Muhlach.

Aga himself is still on the heavy side, but has become extra-active on his “Pinoy Explorer” TV show, so he should be able to keep up with his determined leading lady. Regine shares that what’s doing the trick for her is the South Beach diet, which she sticks to religiously.

Where does all this leave Sharon Cuneta, whose own weight reduction pledge appears to have gotten bogged down for some months now? For the sake of her career and overall health prospects, the Megastar should redouble her efforts to lose all of those extra mega-pounds. She’s done it before with amazing results to show for her discipline and determination—and she can do it again.

While we’re at it, we also wish that Janice de Belen wins her own battle of the bulge. She isn’t as overweight as some other literally “big” stars, but she also needs to get back into fighting and shooting trim.

Temptations

Maybe the fact that she’s hosting the “celebrity” cooking TV show, “Spoon,” is providing too many temptations that are distracting her from her weight-reduction goal? If so, perhaps it’s time for her to go on (temporary) leave from the show, so she can focus more resolutely on losing some 20 or more pounds?

A lot is riding on this “mission” for Janice, because she is now cohosting a second TV show, “Showbiz Inside Report,” and her TV-film acting career has heated up again. This is the time for her to remind viewers of her thespic ability of yore—but, that can’t really happen as long as she continues to look so—ah, matronly.

Finally, we hope that obese child actors will get over the unhealthy notion that fat means cute and cuddly on the big and small screens.

Perspective

For much too long have they been stuffed with food to make them look plump enough to hug, squeeze—and eat! The notion isn’t only wrongheaded, it’s also risky from a health perspective, because today’s fat, sassy and huggable child star could be tomorrow’s obese has-been—and medical basket case!