Inside LGBT icon Jazz Jennings’ 45kg weight gain: the transgender star of I Am Jazz opened up about her eating disorder, mental health and fitness plans

Dec 10 , 2021

Transgender icon Jazz Jennings opened up about her weight gain in reality show I am Jazz. Photos: @jazzjennings_/Instagram

First in the spotlight at age six during a 20/20 interview with Barbara Walters about transgender children, Jennings has led her own reality TV show on TLC since 2015

The Harvard student, activist and YouTuber will say goodbye to the McDonald’s chicken nuggets, sharing her weight loss journey with her social media followers

The star of American reality TV show I Am Jazz, Jazz Jennings has been a trailblazer for transgender kids.

On air since 2015, the TLC series features the 21-year-old Jennings and her family “dealing with typical teen drama through the lens of a transgender youth” from their home in South Florida, and has broached topics like early childhood gender dysphoria, gender confirmation surgery, struggles with mental health, bullying and now, in the show’s latest season, Jennings’ 100lb (45kg) weight gain over two years.

Jazz Jennings is the reality star of I Am Jazz. Photo: @jazzjennings_/Instagram

The star, who is also a YouTube personality, first became known back in 2007 when she appeared on the news programme 20/20 in an interview with Barbara Walters during a widely watched segment about transgender children. At the time, Jennings (which is actually a pseudonym surname chosen over safety concerns at the time) was just six years old – making her one of the youngest publicly documented transgender individuals ever.

In the season seven premiere of I Am Jazz on November 30, Jennings opened up about her weight gain ahead of attending Harvard University, where she was accepted as a student before deferring for one year in the wake of Covid-19.

Here’s what we know about the LGBTQ+ activist, her weight journey and how she’s coping under the sometimes harsh scrutiny of life in the public eye.

What caused Jazz Jennings’ weight gain?

Jazz Jennings gained 100lb (45kg) in two years, which she opened up about in the season seven premiere of I Am Jazz. Photo: @jazzjennings_/Instagram

A combination of an eating disorder, poor mental health and side effects from medication – which may cause increased appetite – were the main factors in the reality starlet’s significant weight increase, according to Jennings.

“Two years ago, I was on my way to one of the greatest institutions in the world, but I was actually struggling severely with mental health issues,” she said. In the episode, Jennings admitted to suffering from binge eating disorder, which is characterised by frequent episodes of overeating, often quickly and to the point of discomfort.