Kim Zolciak-Biermann Says Daughter Ariana, 17, Lost 30 Lbs. After Being Body-Shamed

Life in the spotlight has been tough for Kim Zolciak-Biermann’s daughter Ariana Biermann.

The 17-year-old grew up surrounded by cameras during the decade that her mom has starred on The Real Housewives of Atlanta and Don’t Be Tardy, and she’s struggled with her body image as a result.

Biermann sobbed during frustrating prom dress fittings last March, as seen on Sunday night’s episode of Don’t Be Tardy. But Zolciak-Biermann said since then, her daughter has lost a significant amount of weight.

“Ariana, now, she’s lost, like, 30 lbs.,” Zolciak-Biermann, 40, told Entertainment Tonight on Saturday. “She works out at the gym every day. She’s itty-bitty tiny. She’s really kind of come into her own.”

But Biermann still struggles with her body image because she compares herself to her friends, her mom added.

“At the time, a lot of her friends are on the smaller side … they’re, like, a size negative-zero, 99 percent of her friends, so to her, she’s like, ‘I’m fat, and I’m this…’ and it’s just hard, and it’s heartbreaking,” she said.

Ariana Biermann and Kim Zolciak-Biermann
Ariana Biermann and Kim Zolciak-Biermann

And through living in the public eye, Biermann sees her negative thoughts reflected on social media.

“People on Instagram, especially, are so f—— rude about it that I have to monitor her page constantly because of the nasty comments, ‘You’re fat, you’ve always been fat….’ just horrible, mean, mean things,” Zolciak-Biermann said. “Now, they’re saying all she does is photoshop her pictures, ‘cause she’s not that small. It’s a constant battle, and I always want my girls to love themselves, no matter what size they are.”

Zolciak-Biermann said that she’s also honest with her kids about plastic surgery. She had a tummy tuck in 2015 after giving birth to her now 4-year-old twins Kaia and Kane and developing a hernia, and she reduced the size of her breast implants last year because they were too “heavy.”

“I’m very open with my children on [her plastic surgery],” she said. “I am not open to any plastic surgery on my girls at this time. I tell them, you know, when you’re done having kids and all that good stuff, worry about all that stuff later on down the road, if that’s what you want to do, but you guys are beautiful and so young.”

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That’s the sentiment she pushes on her kids.

“I do believe that beauty shines from, truly, within,” she said. “We focus on that kind of thing.”

Zolciak-Biermann frequently defends herself and her six kids against Photoshop allegations from people on social media. She once shared multiple photos of herself in a bikini after getting negative comments earlier in the day, and said, “as you can see, I don’t have to photoshop anything.”

And in October, Zolciak-Biermann found herself denying accusations that she Photoshopped pictures of her twins.

“People are f—– SICK!! Get the f— out here!! No post was taken down and no photo has been nor will ever be edited of my children! I will no longer stand for this bulls—!” she tweeted in response.