After gaining a "substantial amount of weight," transgender activist and reality star Jazz Jennings will return to the airwaves later this month. In a trailer released Monday for the seventh season of her reality series "I Am Jazz," Jennings bravely tells her fans that she has gained nearly 100 pounds since the previous season of the show.
"Two years ago, I was on my way to one of the greatest institutions in the world (Harvard), but I was actually struggling severely with mental health issues," Jennings says in the trailer. "I started binge eating and I gained weight and more weight and more weight. And now, almost 100 pounds heavier, here I am today."
As the video shows her struggling with activities like tennis and kickball, Jennings explains that it has been a tough adjustment.
"Having all this extra weight, I can't do so many of the things with my body that I used to be able to do," she explains in the video.
The trailer also shows her family monitoring her food intake and arguing over how much butter she used in a pasta dish.
"I do experience fat-shaming from my family. It makes me feel really humiliated," she says in a confessional interview after the incident.
Jennings previously discussed her weight gain in an Instagram post earlier this year that appears to have been documented as a scene on the upcoming show.
In it, she shared two side-by-side photos of herself and explained that her weight gain was a result of her binge-eating disorder.
"I’m not only addicted to food, but I eat it in large quantities. My binging, along with an increased appetite I experience from some of the meds I’m on, has caused me to gain almost 100 pounds in a little less than 2 years," she captioned the picture.
Jennings added that she was ready for a change and to "turn over a new leaf."
"I’m ready to take the initiative and create positive changes when it comes to my health and body. I have a fabulous team supporting me, both professionals and family/friends, but at the end of the day, I have to be the one committed toward bettering myself," she wrote. "I know I have the power in me to lose the weight, and I intend on sharing my progress with all of you."
"I Am Jazz" returns to TLC for its seventh season on Nov. 30 at 9 p.m. ET.
If you're struggling with an eating disorder and need help, information or resources, visit the NEDA website or call 1-800-931-2237.
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