Octavia Spencer: ‘My weight is not healthy’

Octavia Spencer should be on top of the world. Her many accomplishments over the past year make her the envy of her peers. But the 41-year-old actress, renowned for her portrayal of a sassy southern maid in ‘The Help,’ is worried, despite all the accolades.

“I am not healthy at this weight,” said Spencer to the media assembled backstage at the Screen Actors Guild Awards, where she won a best supporting actress trophy.

“Any time you have too much around the middle, then there is a problem. [And] when you reach a certain weight, you are less valuable,” she said, referring to Hollywood’s strict physical standards.

Spencer says that Hollywood should be more accepting of actresses of different sizes, including those who are thin.

“I feel for the overly thin women as much as I do for the overweight women. It … has to change,” she said.

Ms. Spencer indicated that her problem may stem from the fact that she overeats when she’s feeling down: “If more women ate, they would be a lot happier. Let me tell you, I am a lot grumpier when I don’t eat.”