Opera, which has existed all over the world for centuries, has made us all think and admired how the artists who perform this art can sing with such high decibels.
Another issue that draws attention in particular to opera singers is their weight. The moment we hear the word opera, an overweight, burly artist comes to life before our eyes. So what is the reason for this? Is there a direct proportionality between people’s opera performance and their weight?
There are various theories as to why opera singers are often overweight. The first of these is related to the larynx structure of the artists.
It is accepted that the large amount of adipose tissue surrounding the larynx increases the resonance capacity and thus produces a more pleasant sound to the ear. However, the effort to increase the fat tissue in the larynx for this purpose also means an increase in all the fat tissues in the body.
The biggest known goal of opera artists is that they need a much stronger diaphragm than a normal person in order to always be able to rise above the sound of the big orchestra in the opera house.
In order to activate the diaphragm in the body, a large chest cavity and a high level of control of the lungs are required. A large body mass and the body structure to support it help the diaphragm to be used more efficiently.
Another theory put forward is Dr. It belongs to Peten Osin. Osin states that opera singers “may be more prone to gain weight because the high exertion in the lungs triggers their appetite.”
The doctor suggests that the act of singing stimulates lung cells and leptin, a protein that plays a role in regulating appetite, to release chemicals, and thus opera singers tend to gain weight.
Dr. The findings of another study conducted by CW Thorpe and three colleagues at the University of Sydney are that opera negatively affects the body structure of a person.
The researchers state that the act of singing in the opera style expands the body itself and especially the rib cage. In other words, as the process of performing the opera continues, weight gain occurs in direct proportion.
Irregular eating habits due to workload may also be the cause of excess weight in opera singers.
Usually, performers wait for their performance to finish before eating dinner. The reason for this is that the feeling of fullness can trigger breathing, create a drowsy state and sometimes cause stomach discomfort. For this reason, many artists prefer to postpone their dinner in order to maintain their form and not have any problems during their performance.
However, since these artists do not eat for long hours before and during the performance, they often feel hungry and thirsty afterwards. Then they have no choice but to eat their meals and go to bed on a full stomach, and as this process will continue, it becomes inevitable for them to gain weight.
American mezzo soprano Marilyn Horne expresses the following sentences about the fact that opera singers are more prone to weight gain:
“Ours is a very lonely profession. The more successful and popular you become, the farther you get from home and, of course, the more you sleep alone in a strange hotel room. Intensive rehearsal schedules and tours can get in the way of maintaining a regular schedule of eating and good exercise.”
On the other hand, most opera singers are not very enthusiastic about getting rid of the weight they actually have.
It is known that opera singers who lose significant amounts of weight also lose their vocal brilliance in this cause, so the performers fear that weight changes will affect their vocal cords.
Maria Callas’ voice lost its unique tone in her 50s and had a hard time reaching high pitch. Most researchers agreed that this was due to the artist losing more than 30 pounds.
Of course, not every opera singer is overweight.
In order for people to be able to perform this art, of course, there is no requirement to be overweight within the framework of the effect of their body structure on their voice and performance. Contrary to the generalization, there are overweight artists as well as famous opera singers who have a classical body structure and maintain their form.
- Sources: Interlude, The Register, Science ABC
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