Miss Universe 2021 Harnaaz Sandhu has been getting criticism from some media outlets and beauty pageants fans for her weight. According to some social media users, her alleged weight gain has been noticeable since she won the popular contest last December.

To set the record straight and stop the negative energy aimed at her, Sandhu took to social media to address the situation and reveal that she is facing a health problem. The same is responsible of triggering her extra pounds.

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Through her Twitter account, where she has almost 50 thousand followers, the 22-year-old Indian model, actress, and beauty pageant titleholder revealed that she is allergic to gluten. This condition has affected her diet in recent months.

“Around 10-30% of the global population suffer from food allergies. I am having gluten allergy that is common and relatable to a major proportion of people worldwide which is manageable by just eliminating a few food groups from the diet.” she wrote.

A day before revealing details about her health, Harnaaz addressed the controversy over his weight gain. Although social networks have been filled with information regarding body positivity and the acceptance of all bodies, criticism of people’s physique persists, especially among public figures, as is the case of Harnaaz Sandhu.

“A shape of your mind is more important than the shape of your body,” she wrote in a post accompanied by some images in which she appears modeling a dress.

Recently during an interview with the Press Trust of India, Harnaaz referred to her allergy to gluten, which is known in the medical field as celiac disease. This condition is an immune reaction to gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley, and rye. “I’m one of those people who was first bullied saying ‘she’s too skinny’ and now they bully me saying ‘she’s fat’. Nobody knows about my celiac disease. That I cannot eat wheat flour and many other things,” she said.

She added that her physique has undergone many changes due to her constant traveling. “When you go to a new place, you see changes in your body. And I went to New York for the first time... It’s a whole different world.”

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“On the Miss Universe platform, we talk about women’s empowerment, femininity, and body acceptance. And if I’m going through this... I know many people are trolling me, and it’s okay because that’s their way of thinking, their stigmas, but many other people are trolled every day. I am empowering them by making them feel that if I feel beautiful, you are too,” she said.

“If you think I’m the prettiest girl and that’s why I won Miss Universe, you’re wrong. I may not be the prettiest, but maybe I am one of the bravest and most confident women who believe that even if I’m fat or if I’m thin, it’s my body, and I love myself. I love change, and you should appreciate it because not everyone can go through change. So be happy if you are going through changes. If you are facing challenges in life, you should be thankful because that means something good will happen,” she added.