Tyra Banks is one of the world’s most voluptuous supermodels today, but when she was 11-years-old she was often bullied because of how skinny she was.
The 38-year-old host of America’s Next Top Model is constantly ranked in almost every list pertaining to the world’s most beautiful women, so it’s hard to imagine that as a child her physique actually looked “sick and frail.”
In an interview with Huffington Post Live, Banks admitted that after dramatically increasing her food intake she was still unable to gain weight which eventually landed her in the hospital where doctor’s tried to diagnose the problem.
“When I was 11-years-old, I grew three inches and lost 30 pounds in three months,” the curvaceous super model said. “I wasn’t sick but people thought there was something wrong with me. I was the brunt of every joke, every bad thing. I hated my reflection in the mirror. I would try to stuff food down my throat to gain weight.”
Eventually, Tyra was able to regain her health and although she was finally putting on a little weight her growth spurt was there to stay.
Growing an extra three inches was never a bad thing in the modeling world of course.
With her astonishing looks and height, Banks was able to enter the modeling industry when she was only 15 years old.
Banks got her career off to a great start, booking 25 shows at the 1991 Parish Fashion Week during her first runway season. Later, she also became the first African American Victoria’s Secret model to grace the cover of the catalog.
The American supermodel may have been struggling to gain weight back then, but now it seems like she’s struggling to lose it.
Tyra went for a jog around New York yesterday morning and was far from ready for a close up.
The usually glamorous and gorgeous model was snapped without an ounce of make up and her hair wrapped under a base ball cap during her run through New York, and the photos made one thing very clear: Trya was exhausted.
She was photographed several times wincing and panting furiously, proving that perhaps this run was a bit more than she expected.
Honestly, you have to give the photographers props for even recognizing the Victoria’s Secret Angel, because she looked like a completely different person without her pounds of TV make up.
Then again, it seems like people aren’t quite sure if they prefer the Tyra with completely no makeup or the Tyra with utterly too much makeup.
During her appearance on Live! With Kelly and Michael, the supermodel looked like a life sized walking Malibu Barbie.
Instead of relying on her famous ability to “smize,” or smile with her eyes, the television host hid her eyes between pounds of eyeshadow and eyeliner.
The look was inspired by the classic cat eye, but perhaps this was just a bit much in addition to dark smokey eyes and giant hair.
To complete the life sized Barbie look, she even threw on a hot pink one shoulder dress along with a pair of black peep toe pumps.
When it comes down to it, the fashion world is all about balance especially when it comes to makeup.
Fingers crossed that for Tyra’s next television appearance she’ll find the perfect way to style herself in moderation.
