- Lifestyle
- Health & Families
‘Health and wellness are conflated with being thin and skin’, says Natasha Rothwell
Sara KeenanWednesday 26 November 2025 15:27 GMT
CloseThe White Lotus season 3 trailer
Sign up to our free Living Well email for advice on living a happier, healthier and longer life
Live your life healthier and happier with our free weekly Living Well newsletter
Live your life healthier and happier with our free weekly Living Well newsletter
Email*SIGN UPI would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice
Natasha Rothwell, the acclaimed actor known for her role as Belinda Lindsey in HBO’s The White Lotus, is championing a more inclusive vision of health and wellness, advocating for accessibility regardless of body size.
The 45-year-old, who proudly identifies as plus-sized, challenges the prevailing narrative that often equates health with thinness. "As someone is plus-sized – and very proudly so – oftentimes, health and wellness are conflated with being thin and skin, which is just not true," she states. Rothwell believes that greater diversity in the wellness space is crucial, ensuring that "mental health and their wellbeing is also important and should be prioritised" for everyone.
The LA-based writer, producer, and director, currently collaborating with ASICS for their new Everyday Escape campaign, hopes her involvement signals a shift towards "more representation in the health and wellness space". She notes a significant disparity: "So often, many of these endorsement opportunities in this space are fronted by people who don’t look like me." Rothwell argues this oversight does "a huge disservice to a lot of populations that want to see themselves in the health and wellness space. They are participating and they are a wonderfully beautiful demographic to acknowledge."
The ASICS initiative promotes the benefits of just 15 minutes of daily movement, offering a counter-narrative to costly wellness holidays. Rothwell, whose breakthrough role was Kelli Prenny in HBO’s insecure">Insecure, resonates with this message. "For a very very long time, I couldn’t afford to travel to wellness resorts to boost my wellbeing," she explains.
open image in galleryRothwell says that even 15 minutes of exercise a day can make a difference (Natasha Rothwell/Golin)"I talk very openly about my mental health and the impact of just 15 minutes of movement a day can boost your mood and mental health." She adds, "The kids these days say, ‘Go touch grass’ and so often we’re on our phones and not in touch with reality. So it’s important to realise that there is an everyday escape right outside your door."
Rothwell openly discusses her own mental health journey, particularly the challenges of a demanding career. "I feel like when life gets extremely busy and being someone who’s in the entertainment industry, I can have days that are 18 hours long," she reveals.
She reflects on a past mindset: "I was brought up to be productive all of the time and I was taught that you have to earn your rest and those moments of reprieve. However, the truth of the matter is, you need those moments of rest in order to function at a high level, which my job demands of me." She stresses the importance of self-awareness: "I think there’s just this recognition mission we all have when we know that something is out of whack or we’re not balanced. When we realise that the scales are tipped, we need to recentre ourselves and put our health and wellness on the priority list."
In the film and television industry, Rothwell observes a growing recognition of work-life balance. She critiques the perception of wellness in Hollywood: "It’s often an idea that there’s a price to be paid, literally and figuratively, before you can actually experience health and wellness. There’s this idea that the more you can pay, the better you’ll be." However, she believes the reality is quite different.
open image in galleryRothwell says going forward she would like to see more representation in the industry (Natasha Rothwell/Golin)"I think it’s quite the opposite actually. It doesn’t cost much to access the benefits that you’re seeking from some of these outlandish, very expensive ‘cures’ for fatigue. I think the industry is doing much better in recognising the fallacy that in order to experience peace and respite, you have to be rich and famous to access these things, which I’m very glad to see."
Rothwell acknowledges experiencing burnout, which she views as an opportunity to pause. "A key is recognising that when I feel overwhelmed, a sign for me is where I feel my anxiety level is getting higher and I feel overwhelmed," she says. "That is a signal for me to pause and to reset." These resets are often brief but effective. "Nine times, maybe even 10 times out of 10, it looks like a 15-minute reset of just stepping away, pouring into myself, breathing, walking, feeling the sun on my face instead of the glow of a computer screen. There are all sort of moments that are available to let us know that we’re burnt out or we’re reaching burnout. You have to listen to your body and recognise what you need."
Despite frequent travel, Rothwell integrates meditative practices into her routine. "Sometimes I go on meditation walks, and what this is, is being thoughtful of every single movement of your body as you’re walking," she explains.
"That way, you’re not necessarily just walking without thinking about anything. You’re just really in tuned to your body and being present." As a self-professed introvert, solo time is vital for her energy. "I am very deeply introverted, which means I get my energy from solo time. I think those little 15 minute walks are those moments that I can recharged." Beyond walking, she enjoys dancing, crosswording, and has recently taken up Lego as a hobby to exercise her brain and find joy.
open image in galleryRothwell explains that her exercise is usually very meditative (Natasha Rothwell/Golin)When advising others, Rothwell cautions against the notion that stress relief requires expensive trips. "Research has revealed that many wellness retreats add to stress levels and they cost a lot. The juice is not worth the squeeze," she asserts. Instead, she encourages people to embrace readily available opportunities for relief. "I would say to folks to not delay or put off the opportunity to get the relief that they are seeking at the touch of their fingertips on the other side of the door. There’s been so many studies too about just our lack of connection, and I think connecting to the outdoors and to other people who are outside, it does just as good for the mind and body."
Reflecting on her own wellbeing journey, Rothwell offers simple advice to her younger self: "Just walk." She recalls her early twenties, observing people in a fancy New York gym and wishing she could afford such facilities. "And there I am walking in New York, which for me is the best city. I would tell my younger self put your wallet away and let your left foot follow your right foot and repeat."
