Sasha Pieterse couldn’t understand ballooning weight before health diagnosis

Actress Sasha Pieterse piled on almost 70 pounds (32 kilograms) as she struggled with a hormone imbalance condition.
The Pretty Little Liars star opened up about her health struggle during Tuesday night’s (26Sep17) episode of U.S. reality show Dancing With the Stars, on which she is a competitor, revealing the illness had destroyed her self-confidence over the past two years.
“(It was) one of the hardest things I’ve ever been through,” Sasha told her professional partner Gleb Savchenko during pre-recorded segments from their rehearsals. “I had no idea what was going on and I didn’t have any way of solving it.”
The 21-year-old was subsequently diagnosed with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), and having a medical reason for her drastically changing figure helped her come to terms with her health crisis.
“Finally, I knew why this was happening to me,” she shared.
Despite sharing her personal struggles with fans online, she still faced heavy criticism from body shamers and trolls, and the “really, really hurtful” comments took their toll on her.
“People were saying stuff like, ‘She’s pregnant’ (and), ‘You’re fat!'” the actress recalled. “They were angry, they were mad that I look like this.”
Thanks to her intense training for Dancing With the Stars, Sasha has since lost 15 pounds (6.8 kilograms), and it has already given her a big confidence boost.
“Now, I’m seeing results,” she said. “I think most importantly, I’m feeling like me again.”