Gabourey Sidibe was worried about losing her toes.
The 33-year-old Empire actress decided to undergo laproscopic bariatric surgery last year after she and her brother, 34, were diagnosed with type two diabetes.
Now, she’s opened up about her experience, and says her decision to go ahead with surgery had everything to do with keeping her toes and nothing to do with “being beautiful”.
“I just didn’t want to worry,” Sidibe told PEOPLE.
“I truly didn’t want to worry about all the effects that go along with diabetes. I genuinely [would] worry all the time about losing my toes.”
After trying to lose weight naturally for more than a decade, she underwent surgery in May last year and kept her decision a secret until now.
“The surgery wasn’t the easy way out. I wasn’t cheating by getting it done. I wouldn’t have been able to lose as much as I’ve lost without it," she said.
The New York actress was nominated for Best Actress at the 2010 Academy Awards for her role in the 2009 film Precious. Since then, she has worked on several television serials including The Big C., American Horror Story, and the musical drama series Empire.
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