Mindy Kaling's Weight-Loss Journey Wasn't About The Scale: 'How Is This News?'

Mindy Kaling has shown off new looks before, and she never hesitates to get real about changes in her body and her health. Over the past few years, "The Office" star has seemingly dropped several dress sizes. In May 2023, she credited her transformation with a renewed interest in hiking and running. "It's really a big commitment," she shared with People. Kaling spoke about how difficult it is to maintain a fitness routine with young children, and she's gotten creative about how to make sure she gets exercise. "I basically live in workout clothes so I can get it in, get an extra mile in," she said. "I just tell myself I have to do basically 20 miles a week of either hiking or running."

"I have wanted to lose weight since I was 12 years old."

Mindy Kaling speaks out on the comments she received about her weight loss after she graced the cover of 'Bustle': "I'm a single mom of three kids... I need to live." pic.twitter.com/7EO4LDoLL4

— The View (@TheView) May 27, 2026

But no matter what her fitness routine is or what weight she's at, Kaling always seems to be the subject of criticism, and lately, she's received quite a bit of pushback for scaling down her waistline. During a May 2026 appearance on "The View," Kaling responded to some of the discourse surrounding her body after she appeared extra trim on the cover of Bustle Magazine. "I had wanted to lose weight since I was 12 years old ... How is this news?" she questioned. "[This has] been a part of my personality since the Clinton administration." While Kaling admitted that she was partially motivated by appearance, that's not the only reason she's become more focused on her health. "My kids need me," she noted, citing her mother, who passed away from cancer, and her father, who has diabetes.

Unfortunately for Mindy Kaling, the discourse around her slim figure isn't her first encounter with body shaming. In August 2021, like other celebs who called out their body shamers, Kaling opened up about the time a writer on "The Office" wanted her character to drop 15 pounds. "This is my greatest insecurity, and someone just called it out," she shared with The Hollywood Reporter. "I had a reckoning where I'm like, 'People are scrutinizing [me], and not only are they scrutinizing [me], they're verbalizing their displeasure with how I look because I don't look a certain way." 

Unfortunately, Kaling found that her insecurities didn't immediately disappear even when she started dropping weight. There have been a few notable female celebrities who stopped working out just to fit in, and in a May 2022 interview with People, Kaling revealed that she was trying to prioritize health over vanity when approaching her fitness journey. "For me, healthy is working out, moving my body a lot, keeping hydrated, and then not having negative connotations around working out," she said. The actor also revealed that she's not afraid to try new things, including yoga and Tai Chi. "I don't have to be like the expert at the thing to really enjoy it and to get a great workout," she said. "Surprising the body with lots of different things, I think, is really good."