Former Miss Universe contestant and content creator Ayn Bernos reacted to a conversation involving It’s Showtime host Vice Ganda and a contestant about women’s bodies during the show’s “Step in the Name of Love” segment.
During the May 14 episode, a male contestant admitted that his preference for a partner is someone who had a slim body. He was then asked by Vice about what he would do if his future partner was slim and eventually gained weight after giving birth. The contestant maintained his position, saying that he would encourage his partner to work with him for a healthy lifestyle.
The It’s Showtime host then explained the realities that women are facing about their bodies, emphasizing that “being a woman is not easy.”
“A woman’s body really changes from time to time,” Vice said. “Kaya nga ‘yun ‘yung pinagdadaanan ng mga babae... kasi maraming babae na ayaw naman nila tumaba pero ‘yun ang dinikta ng katawan nila. May mga nangyayari sa katawan nila na hindi mo maipaliwanag tapos bigla nalang silang tataba.”
As someone who experienced it herself, Ayn expressed her appreciation for those people who recognize women’s battles.
“Honestly, it means so much to me that there are people who understand what that is like, how hard that it is like,” she expressed in a video shared across social media.
In the two-minute video, Ayn discussed about her fair share of struggles as a woman who was diagnosed with a hormonal disorder called Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).
“This conversation really hit close to home because if you guys saw me in 2021, sobrang payat ko,” she said. “I joined Miss Universe, I was at my fittest ever in my life. And then all of a sudden, I gained 30 pounds. I was diagnosed with PCOS. A lot of things happened [in] my life. And even though I exercised a lot, I was weightlifting back then, nothing happened.”
With her sudden weight gain due to her condition, Ayn admitted that the unsolicited comments of people on social media brought frustration on her part.
“Dumating sa point na ang search bar sa TikTok ‘Ayn Bernos Buntis’ because when people would see videos of me, they were like ‘Anong nangyari sa kanya? Ba't sobrang tumaba siya?’ And it was also very frustrating because I did not know what was happening with my body,” she recalled.
Agreeing with Vice’s sentiments regarding the changes on women’s body, Ayn explained that it goes beyond living a healthy lifestyle.
“It’s not as simple as living a healthy lifestyle,” she said. “Right now, hindi pa rin ako umaabot or hindi pa rin ako dumarating sa weight ko back when I was at Miss Universe. And for perspective, I work out and I have a very healthy lifestyle. This weekend, I just finished an open water swimming clinic. And then I’ve been running (and) biking. I did a marathon this year. I've been doing Pilates.”
“Before I had my issues with PCOS, I would just count my calories, I would eat well, I would burn calories. That’s it; super simple. But now it’s a lot different,” she added.
Ayn also has a reminder for those people who keep giving unsolicited comments about someone else’s body.
“It’s difficult when you meet someone noong payat ka then you gained weight and then pinipilit nila na ‘yung preference nila is the one who you were before. But at the end of it all, I’m the same person inside. I’m the same person who had that healthy lifestyle. I still do have that healthy lifestyle now,” she said.
The content creator also emphasized the importance of surrounding yourself with a good support system when dealing with similar issues.
“I’m really grateful that there are people in my life who have shown me that no matter what my weight is, they love me for who I am, and I hope everybody who’s dealing with this feels that way too,” she expressed.
In 2021, Ayn, who was 5’3,” broke boundaries as she fulfilled her dream of joining the Miss Universe Philippines pageant after the organization removed the height requirements that were observed since time immemorial.
READ:TikTok star Ayn Bernos fulfills dream of joining the Miss Universe Philippines pageant
Known for her wit and eloquence, Ayn used her voice and the platform to challenge archaic beauty standards and empower women of color and dreamers like her.