'Dancing With the Stars' Season 25 Cast News: Sasha Pieterse Reveals Medical Condition, Weight Problems
"Dancing With the Stars" (DWTS) season 25 contestant Sasha Pieterse revealed that she has a medical condition that led to her weight gain. The star, who appeared on "Pretty Little Liars," said she learned of her hormonal disorder two years ago after gaining around 70 pounds.
Pieterse's condition is polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). The 21-year-old actress, who lost 15 pounds after joining DWTS, said she hopes to raise awareness about this women's health issue.
"It can lead to ovarian cancer and infertility and breast cancer and all kinds of things," Pieterse said. "So the fact that I have that platform and [Gleb Savchenko] incorporated that into the dance and we did it and we performed it and it felt awesome is all I can ask for."
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Pieterse revealed she was at a loss about her changing body before getting the diagnosis, but her stint on "Dancing With the Stars" slowly helped her feel better about her body again as she has been rehearsing for four hours daily and eating right.
Doctors can't determine the exact cause of polycystic ovary syndrome but factors to its development might include an excess of insulin or androgen, or it's hereditary. PCOS is characterized by a heavy irregular menstrual period. It's a common condition among women but it doesn't get properly diagnosed.
Meanwhile, Pieterse advances through week 3 on DWTS with her dancing partner. She's one of 11 stars who are still in the competition after the elimination of Barbara Corcoran and Debbie Gibson.
Pieterse will soon begin work on the "Pretty Little Liars" spinoff with Janel Parrish when her stint on DWTS is over. She told People that she knew for about a year that she's part of the spinoff.
Executive producer I. Marlene King is behind the new series, which will be called "Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists." Pieterse will reprise her role as Alison DiLaurentis, while Parrish will return as Mona Vanderwaal. Freeform hasn't announced a premiere date for now.
