Jessica Simpson had people talking earlier this week when very unflattering photos showing her recent weight gain emerged online. 

“I am completely disgusted by the headlines concerning my sister's weight,” the younger Simpson wrote in a blog post on her Celebrity MySpace page. “A week after the inauguration and with such a feeling of hope in the air for our country, I find it completely embarrassing and belittling to all women to read about a woman's weight or figure as a headline on Fox News.”

The singer appeared at Sunday's Kiss Country Chili Cookout in Pembroke Pines, Florida, dressed in high-waisted jeans and a double belt – shocking fans with her new curves.

Her weight gain wouldn’t have been so obvious if it wasn’t for the incredibly unflattering outfit she was wearing.
 
“All women come in different shapes, sizes, and forms and just because you're a celebrity, there shouldn't be a different standard,” added Ashlee, who herself gained a little weight during her pregnancy.

Also speaking in her defense, Jessica’s former trainer, “5 Factor Diet” author Harley Pasternak said she actually looks beautiful, and is by no means overweight.

The media always made a big deal out of celebrities gaining or losing weight, poking fun at them and their weight fluctuations. Remember Jennifer Love Hewitt who was photographed in a bikini looking slightly larger than her usual slim self last year? A series of mocking reports prompted the actress to respond by saying she felt comfortable with her body, but also to go on a diet and start exercising with a personal trainer. Just months after the incident, she showed off a slimmer figure.

In 2007, former supermodel Tyra Banks faced similar scrutiny when she put on weight since she retired from modeling in 2005.