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On Weight, Fertility, and What This Is Us Got Right—and Wrong


When Kate Pearson found out she was pregnant last season on This Is Us, fans rejoiced. But then she miscarried, and the loss felt personal—even to actress Chrissy Metz. “I would literally go home and not want to talk to anybody,” she told Glamour about filming the storyline. “It was difficult because you’re crying and all these emotions are right there all the time.”

Her journey didn’t end there, though. This season’s premiere showed Kate and her husband, Toby, visiting a fertility specialist to discuss their options. But when the doctor delivers her assessment to the couple, she says this: “At your weight, the chances for a successful pregnancy are very slim—even with IVF.”

The doctor frames the prognosis around Kate’s weight, even though she also knows Kate has PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome) and is 38, which is medically considered “advanced maternal age.” (This category actually applies to all pregnancies in women over 35 — just another example of the BS women face at the doctor’s office.) Both of these factors complicate one’s ability to get pregnant, but her doctor chose to focus on one thing: the number on the scale.

It’s a gutting moment for Kate, who has been reduced to her weight many times on the show. And after the episode aired, many women took to social media to voice their opinion on the storyline:

But for others, it hit home. Sarah Meres, 30, told Glamour her story of trying to get pregnant is eerily similar to Kate’s in many ways, including having PCOS and a husband with a low sperm count. (The doctor tells Toby his sperm count is low because he’s on antidepressants.)

“I saw one gynecologist who told me I need to lose another 40 pounds because my weight, along with having PCOS, was causing me to continue to be infertile,” Mares says. “He told me that my weight [plays] a major role in my PCOS, and the faster I lose [it] the better. What he doesn’t understand is how hard it is to lose weight with PCOS.” Mares says she’s lost 75 pounds so far, but still hasn’t been able to conceive.

Another fan of the show, Ivanka Sanchez, 36, who also has PCOS, agrees. “It was relatable, though maybe not realistic,” she says. “I lost a massive amount of weight in 2016 when I got pregnant for the first time. When I asked how it was possible, the doctor’s answer was the weight loss. But I’ve had struggles with infertility for 16 years, at every weight.”

While simply saying “lose weight and you’ll get pregnant” definitely sounds out-of-touch, there is a reason why a doctor might bring it up: It’s one of the only factors a woman has immediate control over when it comes to fertility. (There’s currently no cure for PCOS.) “We want to look at where can we make an intervention, and weight loss is a place where we can achieve a real increase in chances of a successful pregnancy,” says Nathaniel DeNicola, M.D., an assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at George Washington University and the environmental health expert for the American Council of Gynecology. “Even losing five percent of body weight helps.”

PHOTO: NBC

But why? As Dr. DeNicola explains, obesity leads to excess estrogen in the body, which can mess with ovulation. “It’s sort of the same mechanism as a birth control pill,” he explains. “If you produce more estrogen, that creates feedback that you don’t need to ovulate.” If you reduce fat tissue, you lessen the effect.

Still, Dr. DeNicola says there’s actually no definitive answer to whether or not body weight is a factor with IVF. “There’s no question obesity decreases the chance of getting pregnant, but for IVF, body weight as a factor is unclear,” he says, adding that, in his opinion, it was also not entirely realistic to have a doctor say she won’t be able to take Kate on as a patient because of how her BMI might affect the outcome. (The doctor later changes her mind.) “The standard is informed consent,” he explains. “The patient should have the autonomy to make a choice whether they want to continue treatment.” In other words, a doctor should lay everything out for the patient and let her decide.

Co-showrunner Isaac Aptaker told Glamour in a previous interview that the show did consult doctors on Kate’s storyline. “Once we started to hear that [PCOS] is common, then we brought in doctors and said, ‘What does the reality of this look like? And how do we get it right?'” he said. “We showed this episode to a fertility doctor, and he was like, ‘Thank you. Nobody is doing this, and it’s so common. I see it every day.'”

Ultimately, Kate does decide to move forward with IVF. Whether or not she’s able to conceive, the storyline will hopefully continue to help women who’ve dealt with similar struggles feel seen.

“I felt all the emotions Kate did when they suggested adoption or fostering,” Mares says. “There was a sting, because you want a baby and you are two people so in love who deserve children and it just isn’t happening. And being overweight or obese just makes dealing with fertility even more difficult. I felt her pain.”

Related: Everything We Know About This Is Us Season 3





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'Riverdale' Season 2 Episode 18 Recap: 'Carrie: The Musical' Goes Horribly, Horribly Wrong


It’s been a while, Riverdale—three weeks, specifically—but you’ve finally returned with the event fans have been waiting for: the musical episode. And, my God, you didn’t disappoint. There was singing; there was dancing; there was bloodshed. How the hell is this show going to top itself? That’s a question for later, but for now, here’s what went down on tonight’s episode:

Things kick off with shirtless Archie doing pushups and Cheryl singing, so I can already tell this is going to be iconic. Kevin’s directing the school’s production of Carrie: The Musical, which is great because hopefully that means he gets a ton of screen time. Not great, though, is that he asked Jughead to film a behind-the-scenes documentary about the play. Behind-the-scenes better mean his beanie is behind Cheryl at all times, TBH.

Archie’s somehow keeping the car Mr. Lodge got him a secret from his father, Fred, who’s desperate to spend time with him—so desperate that he volunteers his construction company to build sets for the musical. Interspersed through all of this drama are shots of Archie singing, which, LOL, but I’m living for it.

The first rehearsal for Carrie is awkward. Alice Cooper is playing Carrie’s mother—a tidbit she somehow forgot to mention to Betty. That awful guy Chuck, who made the little black book with all his “escapades” in season one, is in the play as well, which has everyone pissed. (He’s trying to “reform his image.” Ugh.) However, does any of this matter so long as Cheryl stays front and center as Carrie White? (Answer: No.)

“After the fires I’ve walked through, Kevin, the world needs to see me up on that stage!” —Cheryl, future Tony winner

Everyone’s still mad at Veronica for keeping her parents’ plans for Riverdale a secret, and that animosity is seeping into this first rehearsal. Betty’s pouting and saying that Veronica is just as mean as the character she’s playing (Carrie’s antagonist, Chris). Archie’s playing dumb, and Jughead’s filming all of this, but we barely see him. It’s fantastic.

Also fantastic: Cheryl just breaking out into song randomly to prove to everyone she has the pipes to play Carrie White. This is my permanent aesthetic. But right after her song ends, a sandbag (???) falls from the ceiling and almost knocks her out, which means that someone—the Black Hood maybe?!—is trying to sabotage the show. And hurt people! Bah!

Yup, it’s definitely the Black Hood. Kevin receives a note from someone who claims to be the Black Hood demanding that the role of Carrie be re-cast. (OK, Phantom of the Opera.) Who is trying to deprive Cheryl of the spotlight she deserves?

Anyway, now we’re watching a musical number starring Betty and Veronica. There’s lots of hair flipping and hip-popping, so I’m here for it. I’m also screaming over pitch-corrected Archie. I love when Auto-Tune is used in any occasion ever! (Well, at least I think this is being pitch-corrected…)

“I will not succumb to thespian terrorism.” —Cheryl

Pivot to Hiram Lodge, menacingly talking about how he has to get Fred and Archie on the outs in order to derail Fred’s “family values” mayor campaign. Archie told Veronica his dad would be upset if he found out Hiram bought him a car (um, duh), so I’m predicting Hiram’s somehow going to rub that in Fred’s face. Straight dudes and their cars.

Of course Jughead and Betty put on their detective hats to find out who sent the threatening “Black Hood” letter. They flat-out accuse Ethel Muggs of doing it with no evidence other than the fact she wanted the role of Carrie. But Ethel denies this.

Also…Alice and F.P. are hooking up? Oh, right, she did stop by his trailer at the end of March 28th’s episode. She goes to the Pop’s Diner and calls him “handsome,” but he gives her the cold shoulder. Not sure I care about this storyline, but I do appreciate the Gossip Girl parallels.

Back at musical rehearsals, Josie and Cheryl sing a duet together, which is awkward because they’re on the outs. (Remember, Penelope Blossom made Josie think Cheryl was obsessed with her.) But their issues are solved with a simple, “I’m sorry” from Cheryl and some singing. They hug. It’s tender. Fire everyone and make Riverdale a two-woman show starring Cheryl and Josie.

Oh my God, now Veronica’s doing a solo number, and it’s phenom but suddenly derailed by Betty, who goes on a crazy mean tirade about how Veronica’s a terrible person. God, she was just trying to be loyal to her parents, Betty. Let her live! Direct all your negativity toward the Black Hood—or Jughead, who’s creepily filming all of this like Wes Bentley in American Beauty. Archie tells Betty to calm down, and then they sing together. I can’t take Archie singing seriously. Not with his guitar. Not in this musical. Not ever.

PHOTO: The CW

Oh, and I was right: Hiram does tell Fred about the car he bought Archie, and it causes a fight between father and son. Apparently, Fred wanted to go to the “old junkyard” and fix a car up with Archie, which might be the most heterosexual thing I’ve ever heard. Archie says Fred shouldn’t be mad at him because it’s “just a car.” Um, did I miss the episode where Archie won the lottery or something and cars are now disposable? What a spoiled (but hot) doof. Archie eventually comes to his senses, gives the car back to Hiram, and tells him to stop screwing with his and Fred’s relationship. Thank God. That Mark Consuelous is up to no good!

Over at Château Cooper, Alice is sad that Crazy Chic isn’t returning her calls…even though she kicked him out. Alice essentially feels like everyone is leaving her, which makes Betty feel like crap. As it should! Your mother is Mädchen Amick, Betty. Have some respect.

Betty ultimately convinces her father, Hal, to come home and ask for Alice to take him back. She accepts, and then they have a lengthy convo where it’s revealed Chic isn’t Hal’s son. OK, so this is shocking but also not shocking because fans have been saying this for months. What this means about Alice’s mild flirtation with F.P. is a mystery, though.

But who cares about this because the “Black Hood” sent another message to Kevin demanding the role of Carrie be re-cast. Cheryl’s pissed, but it turns out she can’t even fight this fight: Her monster mother Penelope shows up and says she’s not giving her parental approval to do the school musical. Midge Klump replaces her. If this means Cheryl’s done singing, then I’m turning this episode off (except not really—I have to finish my recap).

“I burned one house down. I’ll happily burn another.” —Cheryl

It’s the night of the musical. Everyone’s singing in their dressing rooms; meanwhile, Cheryl’s singing on her own, outside Thistle House, where she’s holding a bucket of…something. Is it gasoline? Is she going to set Thistle House on fire because Penelope banned her from the play? God, I hope.

OMG, NOPE. It’s not gasoline! It’s BLOOD. Cheryl literally doused herself in blood and is now wielding a gothic candlestick—all to threaten her mother to stop messing with her and Nana Rose. This is the greatest Riverdale scene of all time. Give Madelaine Petsch an Emmy immediately.

And there’s more drama: Jughead discovers cut-out magazines in Ethel’s dressing room, which is what the “Black Hood” used to send those threatening messages. However, Ethel still denies she had anything to do with those. As this is happening, Jughead walks in on Midge Klump and Kevin’s boy toy seemingly getting cozy, and minutes later Midge’s boyfriend, Moose, storms down the hallway pissed.

So…did Ethel send those letters? Or is it Chic, who randomly just showed up to opening night? Whoever it is, they’re actually the real deal because during Carrie: The Musical, a stage wall opens to reveal Midge Klump brutally stabbed dead alongside a note from the Black Hood saying he’s back. Holy shit! I just wanted a wholesome night of theater, and now there’s carnage.

Parting thoughts: Don’t kill Cheryl, and everything will be fine.



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Shonda Rhimes Wants to Ban the Phrase 'Strong Female Leads'—and She's Not Wrong


How often do you hear the phrase “strong male characters?” Probably not very much, but the entertainment industry is quick to point out whenever a “strong female woman” makes it on screen. And Shonda Rhimes is sick of it.

Yesterday afternoon, the producer and creator of some of the most beloved female-driven shows, such as “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Scandal,” and “How To Get Away With Murder,” made the case that although using phrases like “strong female character” or “smart female lead” might be well-intentioned, these qualifiers are not just redundant and condescending.

“Okay,” she tweeted on Thursday. “Entertainment industry, time to stop using the phrases ‘Smart Strong Women’ and ‘Strong Female Leads’. There are no Dumb Weak Women. A smart strong woman is just a WOMAN. Also? ‘Women’ are not a TV trend — we’re half the planet.”

Her remarks started a conversation about how these descriptors are a disservice to women, because they imply that brainy, independent women are a rare sight that needs to be applauded or pointed out. As she explains, the industry should assume that women are already strong and smart, the way they generally do with male characters. Twitter users noted that these terms can also be limiting, since being constantly painted as strong doesn’t always leave much room for complexity or nuance, which is often celebrated in brooding, tortured male characters like the Don Drapers and Walter Whites of the TV world.

A few hours after Rhimes initiated the discussion, Oscar-winning actress Jessica Chastain chimed in to say, “Yes to this. I’m always told I play ‘strong women.’ Lets pleasw use the phrase ‘well written women’ in its place ALL WOMEN ARE STRONG WOMEN.”

It’s not the first time Rhimes has spoken up about how the industry characterizes female characters. As part of an interview series for Time back in 2017, Rhimes said, “Every time someone says, ‘How do you write such smart, strong women?’ I find it appalling because it suggests that there are stupid, weak women and that’s who is generally out there.”





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Chris Harrison on What Went Wrong on 'Bachelor in Paradise' This Summer


After the season that almost wasn’t, Bachelor in Paradise attempted to wrap things up with a bow at tonight’s finale by reuniting Corinne Olympios and DeMario Jackson for the first time since production was shut down over allegations of misconduct earlier this summer.

While the much-anticipated joint interview didn’t reveal anything new about what did or didn’t happen in late June, Corinne and DeMario did open up about the benefits of therapy to get them through a very trying time. “Therapy has been really good for me and helped me make sense of things,” Corinne said. “I’m trying to get back to my old self.” DeMario wished Corinne happiness before adding, “I hope someday we can not be connected in this cloud.” Corinne’s response: “I think the cloud has cleared.”

But has it? After the show, host Chris Harrison admitted to us that while he’s content with how things turned out in the end, he still doesn’t love how everything was handled. “I get that you’re not satisfied with everything fully, nor am I,” he told us backstage. “I don’t love how this has gone. But you have to realize, I was put on a certain field and within a box that I had to play.”

Viewers may never know the whole story, but Chris sat down with Glamour to explain why he’s choosing not to watch the tape that reveals what happened between Corinne and DeMario and where things went off course.

In recent interviews that Corinne and DeMario have given, they’ve both blamed the media, but plenty of respected outlets only reported on the official statements that were released by both parties. What’s your take?

Chris Harrison: My take on this is, I agree, because I come from the journalism background. There were some things I saw…let’s back up. The “third party” [producer] started this ball rolling. If you’re going to blame somebody, you can start there. Then it goes to the producers, myself included, that were a part of this. Then we made the decision to shut [Paradise] down—while I somewhat agreed with it, I wasn’t fully on board with the whole shutdown, but we had to do what was right by Corinne and DeMario. I can go to bed tonight knowing that I treated DeMario and Corinne equally with respect and dignity and class and handled that as well as we possibly could.

But once we shut down, and once we made the decision to go back, you can’t un-ring that bell. You can’t do that quietly. There’s no way to quietly say, “Oh, production was shut down. Why? Allegations of assault?” So, while there was some misreporting and some wild accusations, I will defend the media—what are you going to do, not report it? You had to report that story. But with that said, when I came home, I turned on the network morning news and there were three or four facts wrong in the story that I was watching. I was astounded. How is this happening 12 hours after I get home, that there’s [already] three or four facts wrong on this network morning show?

Can you tell us what they were? Or what irritated you the most about it?

Chris: I’d have to go back and see the package that was run, but there were things said that I was like, “What?!” I called PR and said, “How does this happen? How are facts already wrong? Why are people reporting things that aren’t true?” So it started there. Those were small potatoes compared to things on the Internet, things that are “alleged,” but the problem is this “alleged” bullshit that goes out there and things can just be said now. Then outlets can go back and debunk them the next day. I call it the TMZ effect because that’s where it started. They’re masters at it. They’ve made a billion dollars on it.

You mentioned tonight that you’d love for an interview with the third party [producer] to happen. Will we ever hear from that person?

Chris: I don’t know. Look, if I had to grade myself on how all this was handled, I’d give myself about a B minus. I get that you’re not satisfied with everything fully, nor am I. I don’t love how this has gone. But you have to realize, I was put on a certain field and within a box that I had to play.

There are things I legally can and can’t say to DeMario and Corinne, and there are things I legally can and can’t say about this third party. I would love to sit down with all of them. And, by the way, you can’t just lay the blame at this third party’s feet. There are producers that messed up and dropped the ball. There are executives, there are lawyers, there are a litany of people—myself included—that should be involved in the blame game. It’s not just the media. But I get why, back to your original point, Corinne and DeMario are saying the media because when they got home, the media blew their lives up. Even DeMario said—and I saw that same report and wasn’t going to say anything about it, but when there’s a report about you dragging a lifeless body out of a hot tub and making sexual advances on that lifeless body…

That’s rape.

Chris: Right, that’s rape. When you start throwing that word out there, that’s not OK. That’s where I draw the line. There are reputable sources and reputable media outlets, like yourself…I talked to people, I was doing interviews, and I was telling people exactly what happened because I was witness to it. I was telling them things I witnessed, and they said, “Thank you but we’re not going to go with that yet, we need to confirm with another source or two before.” And I said, “Good for you.” They could have easily gone with what I said, and they would have been right, but they didn’t. There are some good people out there. I hope some things will be taken from this and a little learning.

Did you see the tape?

Chris: I have not. I have not seen the tape.

Do you want to?

Chris: No, I purposely did not see the tape. I was asked to see the tape, I could have seen the tape, I could probably still see the tape. I don’t want to. There’s no reason to. I know what’s on it. I was there that day. I didn’t see it happen live either because I wasn’t in the control room at the time it was happening, but I know what’s on it. And in no way would that change my opinion; in no way do I need to see or hear it.

So you’re happy with how things…

Chris: I’m content. I’m as content as I can be. I’m happy for Corinne and DeMario. I wanted to see that ending [that viewers saw tonight]. I felt like after those two interviews I did on earlier episodes of Bachelor in Paradise this season they needed to come together. There needed to be that cathartic ending and exchange. I don’t know if anyone cares or anyone wanted to see that, but my decision trumped that. I wanted it to happen.

The public may never know what’s on that tape exactly, or everything that went down. If anything “good” could come of this whole thing, it’s that much like the race discussions that happened on Rachel’s season, we’re having conversations about consent and sexual assault. That needs to happen more. So, as the father of a 13-year-old daughter, what do you tell her and teach her as a dad?

Chris: That’s a big question. At the end of the day, there’s not a lesson you tell your daughter. You raise your daughter. For 13 years, I have been teaching her and talking to her to have faith in her God, to have faith in her family, to trust herself, to be in control and in charge of her body. Same thing for my son. Hopefully, you keep that in mind as you make decisions in life, whether it’s consent, whether it’s drinking, whether it’s running naked across the quad in college, whatever it is! In terms of getting consent and understanding that it is consensual, it’s a big conversation but it’s a conversation I’m glad we’re having [on the show].



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