Dancing With the Stars [1] is in full swing right now, and I'm always impressed with how strong and toned everyone becomes over the course of the show. After the media pounced on her for potentially gaining a few pounds, Cheryl Burke [2] is speaking out by reminding everyone that being confident is beautiful. The professional dancer recently told People [3]:

I want kids or women out there to realize you don’t have to be anorexic to be beautiful. There’s a lot of pressure living this Hollywood life. People expect to see you at a certain weight and when you gain a few pounds then all of a sudden it’s the talk of the week.

People will always have an opinion about you, whether it’s good or it’s bad. But most important is to have a secure feeling about yourself and know that you’re beautiful regardless of what people think of you. When I was younger, I wasn’t stick thin. I wasn’t tall. I don’t have long legs. I wasn’t naturally skinny. As I grew older, I just became more comfortable in my own skin.

Cheryl is a strong woman and I'm pleased to see her standing up to the pressures to be super thin in Hollywood. Strong is beautiful, and there isn't a thing wrong with having a few womanly curves!

Pacific Coast News Online [4]