Everything Alabama Barker Has Revealed About Her Health Struggles
Alabama Barker is the daughter of Blink 182 drummer Travis Barker and his ex-wife Shanna Moakler. In August 2023, the teen clapped back at social media users who were commenting on her recent weight gain. Alabama posted a TikTok video in which she revealed that she's been diagnosed with "a thyroid problem and an autoimmune disease," both of which have contributed to fluctuations in her weight.
Although Alabama didn't get into specifics, many of the disorders that affect a person's thyroid can cause weight gain and almost all of them require medication to treat. According to the Cleveland Clinic, the thyroid's "main job is to control your metabolism." Many patients who suffer from thyroid disorders also change their diets in an effort to ease symptoms.
An autoimmune disorder describes what happens when "the body's natural defense system can't tell the difference between your own cells and foreign cells, causing the body to mistakenly attack normal cells," per Johns Hopkins Medicine. There are a variety of autoimmune disorders and each one has its own set of symptoms.
While Alabama didn't say which disorder she is dealing with, pain and difficulty with one's joints, for example, can cause a patient to have decreased activity that could also contribute to weight gain. No matter her diagnosis, Alabama seems to be working through her health issues the best that she can and she has a strong message for her haters.
Alabama Barker says she's gained about 5 to 10 pounds
Alabama Barker didn't hold back when telling people to lay off. "Paparazzi will purposely take pictures of you with your mouth open, middle of a sentence, and any ugly picture they can get of you just for views. I would love to see you guys getting random pictures of you taken of you when you're leaving the grocery store, in the middle of a sentence, with your mouth wide open ... and let's see how beautiful you look," she said in her TikTok video. "It would be very appreciated if you guys just keep your opinions to yourself. It'll get you further in life."
Alabama revealed that her doctors are trying to get everything "balanced," and once that happens, she expects to drop the few pounds that she has put on. According to the British Thyroid Foundation, an underactive thyroid is likely to cause some weight gain. On the flip side, those suffering from an overactive thyroid may find themselves losing weight, but those patients are likely to gain the weight back once the hormones are adjusted. Alabama took a minute to address the amount of weight she's gained, which she says is about five to 10 pounds, and she believes that's completely normal weight fluctuation for a girl her age.
Alabama Barker received support after sharing her health issues
Although Alabama Barker didn't go into too much detail about her thyroid condition and her autoimmune disease, her message was relatable to many people, and she received a great deal of support in the comments section of her TikTok post. "I have thyroid disorder too & the way I went from 98 lbs up to 140 lbs in six months was shocking," one TikTok user wrote. "I too have a thyroid issue, I've been made fun of for my weight my entire life because of it. I feel you girly," another TikTok comment read.
Alabama has really come into her own in recent years and has amassed more than four million followers on TikTok. Generally speaking, she is known to post videos of her hair and makeup routines, but there have been times that she speaks up when she gets negative comments. On Aug.13, 2023, for example, she uploaded a TikTok with the caption, "People hating for no reason" and put it to the song, "Throw Away" by Future. The chorus of the track repeats, "Do you feel better about yourself," which seems to be the question that Alabama wanted to ask the people who had nothing nice to say about her.