“America’s Got Talent” judge Heidi Klum recently had some memorable photos taken not of herself — but of her colon.
And she’s using it to raise awareness about the importance of colon cancer screening.
The 49-year-old recently shared during an appearance on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” that she received a colonoscopy while celebrating her three-year wedding anniversary with her husband, German guitarist Tom Kaulitz.
He has a type of migraine known as cluster headaches — so the pair went on a health retreat in Austria.
“Usually I have my photo taken from the outside, but they were all in there,” Klum told comedian Nicole Byer, who was the guest host for the late-night show two weeks ago.
Heidi Klum is married to musician Tom Kaulitz. She discussed the recent test she had to screen for colon cancer. (Getty Images)
She learned that the intestine is 8 meters long but admitted “the pictures didn’t come out so well.”
What is a colonoscopy?
A colonoscopy is a screening test often performed by a doctor who specializes in the gastrointestinal tract. The screening is done a person who does not have any symptoms to look for disease, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
“There are multiple ways to screen for colon cancer, including colonoscopy, stool tests and by imaging (virtual colonography),” said Dr. Avinash Ketwaroo, gastroenterologist and associate professor of medicine at Yale School of Medicine in Connecticut.
“Colonoscopy has the advantage of allowing for the detection and removal of precancerous polyps during the same procedure.”
Nearly all colorectal cancer develops from abnormal growths in the colon or rectum, which are known as precancerous polyps, per the CDC.
The health agency noted that a colonoscopy will show if there are any precancerous polyps — so that those can be removed before they have a chance to turn into cancer.
Heidi Klum discussed her recent colonoscopy. Doctors say it is generally safe and well tolerated by most patients — and is a critical screening tool. (James Devaney/GC Images)
“Colonoscopy has the advantage of allowing for the detection and removal of precancerous polyps during the same procedure, and therefore can prevent colorectal cancer,” said Dr. David Greenwald, director of clinical gastroenterology and endoscopy at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York.
Benefits outweigh the risks for most people
Greenwald told Fox News Digital that a colonoscopy is generally safe and well tolerated with minimal risks, though there are some complications to be aware of before consenting to the procedure.
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These include complications related to sedation and bleeding risks as well, “which is estimated to occur in about one in 1,000 procedures.”
“For colonoscopy, the benefits of detecting and preventing colorectal cancer are substantial and far outweigh the risks.”
Because a scope is passed into the colon, another rare complication is “perforation, or making a hole in the intestine, which occurs in about one in 3,000 to 1 [in] 5,000 procedures.”
Greenwald said that “all medical procedures have risks. For colonoscopy, the benefits of detecting and preventing colorectal cancer are substantial and far outweigh the risks.”
Don’t fret the ‘prep’
Still, many patients are cautious about having a colonoscopy because the colon needs to be cleared of stool. The preparation requires frequent trips to the restroom prior to the procedure.
“Preparation for colonoscopy is often considered to be the worst part of the procedure — comedians have made entire routines about this very topic,” Greenwald added.
Although other screening tests are available to detect polyps, a colonoscopy needs be performed later to remove them if a polyp is detected during the test. (iStock)
“However, newer and better tasting preparation solutions are available, and it is possible to achieve complete colonoscopy preparation with lower volumes of fluid than was previously thought.”
And when the “prep” is then complete — with that lower volume of fluid and better tasting solutions — it is generally “not as bad as people are expecting it to be,” Greenwald noted.
But some people would just rather choose a less invasive screening approach.
Stool tests and other screenings
Greenwald told Fox News Digital that although other screening tests are available to detect polyps, a colonoscopy needs be performed later to remove them if a polyp is detected.
Some less invasive screening tests are the stool-based tests that look for blood in the stool, such as FIT, or fecal immunochemical testing, he added.
“Colonoscopy remains the most effective way to reduce your overall risk of developing colon cancer.”
These tests are generally done annually; a patient receives a test kit and uses a stick or brush to obtain one or more small stool samples, according to the CDC.
The samples are then returned to a lab, where they are checked for the presence of blood.
Another type of stool test is known as FIT-DNA testing that looks for both blood in the stool and “abnormal pieces of DNA that might come off polyps or cancer,” which is commercially known as Cologuard, Greenwald noted.
In this image released on May 17, Heidi Klum attends the 2021 MTV Movie and TV Awards: UNSCRIPTED in Los Angeles, California. (Amy Sussman/Getty Images)
This test, which is done once every three years, requires the patient to collect a complete bowel movement, which is then sent to a lab to look for “altered DNA” and for the presence of blood, per the CDC.
“Colonoscopy remains the most effective way to reduce your overall risk of developing colon cancer,” said Ketwaroo. “It allows us to find precancerous polyps and remove them, and to identify colon cancer earlier when it is more easily treated.”
It’s a more efficient “one-step approach” compared to the “two-step approach with stool-based testing, where if the stool test is abnormal, the second step, a colonoscopy, is then necessary to complete the screening continuum,” Greenwald added.
When should you get a repeat colonoscopy?
A colonoscopy is generally recommended every 10 years in average-risk individuals by national guidelines, Greenwald noted.
But stool tests, however, need to be done more frequently to be as effective.
Klum admitted she was “a little late to the party” to get a colonoscopy because she’s turning 50.
“Recently, the recommended age to have your first screening test was lowered to 45 from 50 years of age,” Ketwaroo said.
“This reflects a growing awareness of younger patients [having] colon cancer.”
Klum said her colonoscopy was normal.
But if a colonoscopy shows precancerous polyps — then, depending on the type of polyp, “a shorter interval, often three or five years, is necessary when colon polyps are detected on the initial exam,” Greenwald noted.
“Patients who have colon polyps once are at higher risk for having colon polyps subsequently and require more intensive surveillance.”
Heidi Klum Reveals Why She Turned Off Her Instagram Comments: ‘I Feel More Free This Way’
“There’s just too much hate, unfortunately, in the world right now,” the ‘America’s Got Talent’ judge said on her Instagram Story
Heidi Klum is blocking out the haters.
In a series of posts on Tuesday, the 50-year-old model answered questions on her Instagram Story.
When a fan asked the America’s Got Talent judge why she turned her Instagram comments off, the star had a lot of reasons, number one being: “my own mental health.”
“I don’t think it’s nice sometimes what people have to say and I think it’s not good to be influenced by what people say,” the model continued. “It kind of makes you not do then what you feel in your gut, what you want to do.”
“And I feel more free this way,” she added.
Klum continued, saying that there are some reasons she would like to keep them on — namely her fans — but that the cons outweigh the pros: “Obviously I’m sad for all the fans who I can’t speak with but there’s just too much hate, unfortunately, in the world right now.”
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“And I’m not there for it,” Klum added.
The Germany’s Next Top Model host continued, “My Instagram account and everything that I do is about love and happiness and a lot of people aren’t. I just had to remove myself from that.”
“I also don’t like when people are fighting with each other,” she finished. “That’s not what I’m all about.”
Klum’s daughter, Leni Olumi, also made several appearances on the star’s Instagram Story, laughing and joking with her mom as the TV personality as answered other fan questions.
On Sunday, the model shared a sweet selfie alongside her 19-year-old daughter and her mother, Erna, showing off three generations of Klum family beauty to her now-comment-free Instagram feed.
She simply captioned the post, “❤️❤️❤️.”
Heidi Klum Celebrates Her 50th Birthday with Extravagant Gatsby-Themed Party: See the Photos
Guests including Sofía Vergara shared a glimpse of the supermodel’s vintage-style party
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Heidi Klum welcomed in her 50s the Gatsby way.
On Thursday, the supermodel and television personality rang in a milestone year with a lavish 1920s-inspired birthday party that included extravagant fashions and a five-tier cake with sparklers!
Klum has yet to share photos of her bash, but some of her guests did the service of giving a peek at what went down inside the fête.
Sofía Vergara shared a selfie of her and the woman of the hour blinged-out in what appeared to be flapper-style costumes.
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The America’s Got Talent judges wore eye-catching headpieces — Klum in a $925 draping crystal headband by Jennifer Behr and Vergara sporting a sequin strap.
“Feliz cumpleaños to one of my favorite people in the whole wile world!! ❤️u,” the former Modern Family star, 50, wrote in her birthday message to Klum.
Vergara, who later shared a full outfit photo of her plunging silver mermaid gown and feather arm cuffs to Instagram, also shared a video of Klum enthusiastically dancing in front of her extravagant birthday cake and a singing crowd. Klum was clad in a white feathered coat over her gown.
Klum’s husband, Tom Kaulitz, was also in attendance. In a photo shared by businessman Evangelo Bousis Kaulitz, he was seen wearing a black velvet blazer and a white button-up shirt and trousers. Klum’s see-through dress with fringe and sequin accents is also on display in the snapshot.
At 50, Klum is still thriving in her sexy style.
While she narrowly missed having a nip-slip faux pas in a dramatic cutout gown at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival, her latest moments prove that she’s still got it.
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She has not been shy to post a cheeky topless selfie or two on Instagram, doing so just last week while on a getaway with her beau in France.
Bringing her utmost glam to any carpet has also continued to be her forte. Last month, Klum transformed into an ultra underwater goddess in a leggy Jasmin Erbaş Couture lilac gown with butterfly motifs for The Little Mermaid premiere.
Heidi Klum Clapped Back After Reports Said She Eats Just 900 Calories Per Day
“People just make up stories,” the model told People.
- Heidi Klumcame under fire this week after ‘The Daily Mail’ reported she posted an Instagram story stating she only ate 900 calories per day.
- Heidi has since refuted the claim, saying that wouldn’t be a healthy diet.
- The model has previously shared lots of health and wellness routines on Instagram.
Heidi Klum’s diet has come under pretty intense scrutiny this week. On Tuesday, Aug. 22, The Daily Mail reported that the model did an Instagram Q&A on her Stories, telling fans how much she weighed (138 pounds) and saying that she only eats 900 calories a day. However, there is no evidence Heidi said she eats only 900 calories a day on her Story, and she has denied the report.
In fact, on Wednesday, Heidi told People, “People just make up stories […] One person writes it and then everyone jumps on it.” She also told the outlet that a 900-calorie diet isn’t healthy—and worried that the reports might inspire people to follow it.
Samantha Cassetty, RD, a nutrition and wellness expert and co-author of Sugar Shock, previously told Women’s Healththat a low calorie diet typically “involves eating 800 to 1,200 calories per day to lose weight.” However, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends that people get between 1,600 and 3,000 calories per day. (Which Heidi’s alleged count falls way under.)
Nutritionist Jessica Cording, RD, author of The Little Book of Game-Changers, previously shared with Women’s Health that restricting your calories too much can have negative side effects. “If someone is chronically under-consuming calories, that can cause metabolism to slow down. Your body thinks you’re starving and slows down your metabolism to try to preserve weight.”
If you’re curious to know more about Heidi’s health and wellness routines, Women’s Health is the right place to look. For one, Heidi is always moving her body (even while working!) Back in June, she shared a video on Instagram of herself getting in a workout with dumbbells and ankle weights while on set for Germany’s Next Top Model.
Heidi opened up to E! News back in 2017 about how she doesn’t always have the time to hit the gym. Instead, she would make do “with taking the stairs instead of taking the elevator, jumping on the trampoline with my kids…being more involved in their activities,” she said. “And then sometimes I make it into my attic where I have a treadmill. For 30 or 40 minutes I’ll do a bit of cardio.” (However, it’s been years since she spoke to the outlet, so it’s unclear if her habits have changed.)
These days, swimming is another workout Heidi loves to do, and it’s a great low-impact cardio workout that targets all the muscles in your body. “I’m fortunate enough to have a pool at home and, when the pandemic started, I began swimming 20 laps a day,” she told DailyMail in 2020.
Dancing is another way Heidi likes to keep her body moving. Sometimes that means she’s nailing down a TikTok dance, or grooving to her single “Chai Tea with Heidi” featuring Snoop Dogg. And her workout repertoir isn’t all cardio. The model has shared that yoga helps keep her body flexible and strong.
Calorie controversy aside, Heidi often posts her yummy food on her IG, and she makes room for lots of variety in her diet. She has recently shared a snap of some gardening she did on a trip to Italy, where she picked vine-fresh tomatoes and peppers, and also shared another snap from the trip where she enjoyed some red wine and pizza.
A look back at Heidi Klum aka the queen of Halloween’s unmatched costumes over the years
Supermodel Heidi Klum will stop at nothing to create the most awe-inspiring Halloween costume sure to leave you speechless. Every year she commits to hours of make-up and prosthetics for an elaborate transformation.
This year will be no different.
Drumming up excitement, Klum aka the queen of Halloween teased her 12 million Instagram followers with tomorrow’s highly-anticipated costume.
As we await the big reveal let’s take a look back at some of her most impressive looks over the years.
Worm, 2022
Weird, check. Impressive, check. Unnervingly realistic, check. In an interview with ET Online, she revealed that she stopped eating and drinking three hours before getting ready in preparation for the look.
95-year-old Heidi, 2013
Translucent skin, a weathered face and wrinkly neck, even varicose veins on her legs — Heidi paid attention to every last detail. The final touch was her eye contacts, which made her look like she had cataracts. “No one recognized me, and I almost had to tell everyone to let me into my own party!” she told the New York Post.
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