Danielle Fishel Opens Up About Past Body Image Struggles

Danielle Fishel, known for her role in 'Boy Meets World,' recently shared a poignant diary entry from her teen years

By Mian HamidPublished 6 days ago • 3 min read

Danielle Fishel, known for her role in 'Boy Meets World,' recently shared a poignant diary entry from her teen years, reflecting on body image issues during a time when "if you had curves, you were supposed to feel bad."

In a new episode of her podcast, "Pod Meets World", co-hosted with her former "Boy Meets World" co-stars Will Friedle and Rider Strong, Fishel, now 43, opened up about a significant moment from her youth. She prefaced the reading by noting, “I'm gonna read it very funny,” but acknowledged that the content was “very sad.”

Fishel read an entry she wrote after a friend commented on her weight gain. "It really will give you a real peek into the mind of teenage Danielle in the nineties, but I know I'm not alone," she said. "The nineties in general were a time where, you know, there was really no such thing as body positivity. Everyone was chasing a waif look. And if you had curves or any extra weight, it was really something you were supposed to feel bad about."

Danielle Fishel Opens Up About Past Body Image Struggles

Reflecting on her teenage years, Fishel noted that, unlike her friends who "could all eat whatever they wanted," she gained weight quickly and evenly, describing herself as having "a soft plumpness everywhere." In high school, she was mindful of her weight while her more active cheerleader friends indulged in pizza and chips. "If I had a piece of pizza every day for lunch and a bag of chips, I would definitely have weight on me," she explained.

The entry she read was prompted by a comment from her cheerleader friend, Jen. Fishel introduced the reading with a light-hearted tone but highlighted the underlying pain. “ ‘Today, I found something I've dreaded hearing,’ ” she read dramatically. “ ‘I have never been so hurt in my life.’ ” She continued, “ ‘I found out Jen, my best friend next to Jess, said that the other day when she saw me, it looked like I had gained weight. I wanted to cry … I really hated Jen then.’ ”

Danielle Fishel Opens Up About Past Body Image Struggles

Instead of confronting her friend, Fishel's immediate reaction was drastic. She wrote, “ ‘Maybe I will never eat again.’ ” This elicited a strong response from Friedle and Strong, to which Fishel replied, “If you don't think I could go up a notch, you're wrong.” She continued reading, “ ‘Then I'll die,’ ‘And that'll show her.’ ” Fishel and her co-hosts acknowledged the dark humor in her teenage thoughts, with Fishel joking about imagining her own funeral and a "skinny little casket."

Fishel also revealed that she later revisited the diary entry, adding a footnote that read, “I was angry there. By the way, I’m eating.” Reflecting on this, she said, “I apparently read it a while later, and I was like, ‘Wow.’ ” She emphasized that she used her diary to vent, which is a crucial aspect of journaling. Despite the painful memory, she mentioned that Jen remains her best friend and is still thin, but now she maintains her figure through effort.

Danielle Fishel Opens Up About Past Body Image Struggles

Fishel also shared her surprise at learning that fans of "Boy Meets World" appreciated her look during the seasons when she had more weight. “I would see comments people had made about me when I was on "Boy Meets World" when I did have more weight on me than I did in the first couple of seasons,” she said. “And I found that there were plenty of people who were like, ‘I think Topanga looked better with more weight on her.’ ” She added, “And I was like, ‘No! That's the first time I'm hearing of that.’ ”

The Quran - Chapter Ar-Rahman : 64 - 69

Both will be dark green.

Then which of your Lord’s favours will you both deny?

In each will be two gushing springs.

Then which of your Lord’s favours will you both deny?

In both will be fruit, palm trees, and pomegranates.

Then which of your Lord’s favours will you both deny?

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