Jessica Simpson, Kendra Wilkinson And Other Celebs Paid To Lose Baby Weight

By Justine Ashley Costanza | July 07 2012 2:23 PM

Jessica Simpson's 70 pounds of baby weight has been a hot button issue in Hollywood. The singer/fashion designer, who gave birth to daughter Maxwell in April, has been criticized for her fuller frame. Numerous tabloids are reporting that Simpson is frustrated with her inability to shed her pregnancy pounds as part of her $4 million agreement with Weight Watchers. The rampant speculation led Simpson, 31, to deny the rumors via Twitter and garnered her the support of another celeb mom.

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Jessica Simpson debuted the first baby photos of Maxwell Drew, born May 1, in People magazine. Simpson showed off her baby girl, dressed in a white gauzy gown and matching white headband with floral applique, under the headline "Baby Bliss!"

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Former Girls Next Store star Kendra Wilkinson is appalled by the negative attention surrounding Simpson's body.

That just breaks my heart, Wilkinson told omg! from Yahoo. I feel for her. I was in the same boat. People just need to mind their own business. That's a woman who just gave birth. Her first priority right now is her child. Her first priority is not losing the weight. You should be proud of her for that.

The former Playmate also took on a post-baby endorsement deal to lose weight. After giving birth to son Hank in 2009, Wilkinson signed on to be the spokeswoman for Ab Cuts, a body trimming supplement.

The 27-year-old reality star and Simpson are part of a growing trend in which celebs are cashing in on their weight loss goals. This is particularly true of new moms in the public eye -- like Mariah Carey. In 2011, following the birth of her twins, Moroccan and Monroe, the 43-year-old diva became the center of a Jenny Craig campaign. The financial terms of their agreement were never made public.

Former Spice Girl, Mel B, also became a Jenny spokeswoman following the birth of her daughter Madison in 2011. The 36-year-old became a rep for the company's Australian and New Zealand branch and returned to her svelte pre-pregnancy form within four weeks.

It has been largely debated whether these endorsement deals promote unrealistic weight loss goals for new moms or whether they inspire everyday women to get back into shape.

Some stars, such as Aishwarya Rai and Hilary Duff, have adopted a more relaxed approach to slimming down after giving birth. Rai, who has faced a controversial flood of responses for not returning to her pre-baby body, has publicly defended her new shape. In an interview with the Indian press, the Bollywood sensation shrugged off the cruel gossip.

This is reality, this is who I am, Rai said. I am a mother, and this can happen and it happened with me, and that's fine! And that's life!