New images of actor Jonah Hill, 39, illustrate the amazing transformation he has undergone as part of his ongoing weight loss effort. He appears to have been able to achieve such a change in his physical health by prioritizing his mental health – something that people dealing with a variety of health issues can benefit from.
Hill was spotted earlier this month enjoying the California sun with a different look from what people were used to seeing a few years ago. The actor, known for “21 Jump Street” and “The Wolf of Wall Street” now has a scruffy beard and a significantly leaned build.
Recognizable tattoos helped eagle-eyed fans confirm it was indeed Hill carrying a surfboard into a surf shop in Malibu, California. Hill wore a blue t-shirt, thigh-high green shorts, and slides on his bare feet.
Hill deleted his official Instagram account last year amid mental health struggles. However, fans of the star admired his weight loss on fan accounts showcasing the movie star comedian.
“Impressed dude! Looking good!! This is inspiring,” an Instagram user wrote.
Hill’s Netflix special “Stutz” gave fans an in-depth look at his childhood and his weight loss struggles. He shared how being overweight impacted his mental health.
“Stutz” shared an intimate conversation between Hill and his mother. Hill revealed his mom reinforced messages he was overweight as a child, which left a lasting impact on him.
His mother would often say things like, “You’re big like your dad,” not realizing what those words did to her son’s mental well-being.
“I was just doing what I thought was right,” Sharon Lyn Chalkin said in the film.
Hill revealed he “avoided exercise” into adulthood because of how it served as a reminder he was overweight growing up.
“Stutz” primarily recaps Hill and his therapist, Dr. Phil Stutz, working together to overcome the actor’s anxiety struggles. Hill’s anxiety attacks grew worse as his career progressed and, according to IMDB, “turned his dream job into a nightmare.”
Throughout Stutz and Hill’s therapy sessions, they engaged in a different approach than your traditional therapy method, in which you talk about your feelings. Hill credited Stutz for helping him accept the person he sees in the mirror.
Stutz uses the “life force pyramid” approach to therapy, in which he addresses a person’s relationship with their “physical body…with people, and their relationship with themselves,” media outlet Decider explained in its review of the film.
Hill also said he wished “diet and exercise had been framed through a mental health lens for him growing up, rather than as a problem with his appearance.”
“Through this journey of self-discovery within the film, I have come to the understanding that I have spent nearly 20 years experiencing anxiety attacks, which are exacerbated by media appearances and public facing events,” Hill described in an open letter sent to Deadline.
There are many life lessons we all can learn from Hill’s journey to prioritizing his mental and physical health. Many cancer warriors can find inspiration in focusing on their mental and physical health, as it can help improve their cancer journey.
