Despite her “girl on fire” reputation, Jennifer Lawrence hasn’t always been hot in the eyes of the industry.

Lawrence, who is best known for her wit, charm and talent, has been repeatedly criticized about her weight since the start of her career. To the average person, Lawrence carries herself with poise, elegance and seems completely confident in her own skin. But it wasn’t always that way.

When Lawrence was young she was told that she needed to lose weight. Lawrence admitted that she was “hurt.”

“In Hollywood, being told that I was fat, it was just the kind of stuff that actresses had to go through,” said Lawrence in an interview with the Daily News. “They told me that if I didn’t lose weight, I would be fired,” she said.

Look at Lawrence now. She’s at the height of her career. Lawrence demonstrates a confidence in herself that we can all recognize. It’s humble, but not arrogant. It’s strong, but not “in your face.” Lawrence shows that it’s okay to feel good in your own skin and to never change your life to fit somebody else’s.

“If anybody even tries to whisper the word diet, I’m like, you can go f— yourself,” said the 23-year old.

Now Lawrence is taking on “Harper’s Bazaar UK,” a fashion magazine, with stunning grace and elegance. Within the pages filled with skinny models that are threatened with the same situation regarding weight loss, Lawrence faces the weight problem in the industry head-on.

“They thought because of the way my career had gone, it wouldn’t still hurt me,” said Lawrence. “That somehow, after I won an Oscar, I’m above it all. You really still care about that? Yeah,” she said.

After the release of “The Hunger Games,” there was even more buzz about Lawrence’s weight saying that she didn’t look “hungry enough” to play Katniss. Her womanly disposition was said to be “sexy” and not convincing.

Lawrence acknowledges and owns that in Hollywood she’s considered a “fat actress.”

Efforts are being made to change the industry but thankfully, Lawrence has become a role model regarding weight.

 Iona Students Weigh in on Weight Debate

“I’m a firm believer that everybody has control over their own body and no one industry, company or person can tell them what to do with anything regarding weight.” –Senior Nick Lachman	“People think Jennifer Lawrence is overweight? Good. That means that there’s less competition for me. I think she’s fine.” –Senior Michael Hodgen
“She doesn’t let the pressures of fame affect her and influence her lifestyle, unlike many other celebrities who have changed themselves to look better under the public eye. Jennifer Lawrence has always stuck to her values, which shows the quality of her character.” –Sophomore Kim Marra	“The fact that Jennifer Lawrence is even presented with the idea of losing weight or trying to be more attractive is a situation that perfectly represents how distorted our expectations of celebrities physical appearance is.” –Graduate Student Eileen McCann