Jessica Simpson Puts on a Few Pounds, Puts World in Uproar

That Jessica Simpson has gained a few pounds over the past few months is indisputable. Photos taken during her recent performance at a Florida chili cook-off show Simpson sporting a slightly larger physique, though the furor it has caused is perhaps more noteworthy than the weight gain itself. Also at issue is the unfortunate ensemble Jess decided to go with during that show – sporting high-waisted jeans and an unusual double leopard-print belt. Some are now calling Jess outright "fat," while others are vigorously defending her new body, including her former personal trainer. The only thing no one seems to want to defend is that unfortunate outfit.

To put the whole thing in perspective, consider that Simpson is only 5-foot-3 and typically weighs around 110 pounds. During workouts for her role as Daisy Duke in the 2005 movie "The Dukes of Hazard," Simpson worked out for two hours each day and eventually did the original Daisy Duke – Catherine Bach – proud by sporting her short shorts to maximum effect. Now, however, she’s simply sick of maintaining that extremely thin look. Back in 2007, for example, Jess told Harper’s Bazaar, "Curves are better. I don’t get the whole rail thing. It’s not good for your heart, it’s not good for your mind; it’s emotionally destructive, it really is."

Speaking on the matter, a friend who is close to Simpson noted that "She’s done depriving herself and missing out on life just to fit into size 2 jeans. She doesn’t think there’s anything wrong with the way she looks." Even Simpson’s former trainer, Harley Pasternak, has gotten into the act, coming to Jess’s defense when we noted, "She has curves where a woman needs to have curves. We all go a little bit up and a little bit down. But she’s healthy."