Many a celebrity has jumped on the treadmill and transformed their public image. We've seen Seth Rogen, Jonah Hill and Ricky Gervais all hit the gym and pound the pavements with striking results to inspire any PE-shy onlookers.
And for years, we've watched the rollercoaster efforts of Kirstie Alley and Oprah Winfrey to keep control of their waistlines.
But no star has fought, and won, the battle of the bulge in such testing personal circumstances as those of multi-talented Jennifer Hudson.
The Oscar and Grammy winner has shed more than 80 pounds in the last couple of years, which have also seen her give birth to a baby boy and continue to recover from the tragedy that befell her Chicago family in 2008.
Now, Hudson is hoping her battle for a healthier figure will inspire others. The actress, who is a spokeswoman for Weight Watchers, has returned to her home town to open her own Weight Watchers Jennifer Hudson Centre on the city's South Side.
"I never thought I would make it to have my own centre," said Hudson, who wore a fitted, ruffled black dress and high-heeled studded black boots. "I'm so honoured to be here and see this day."
Weight Watchers had pledged to donate a portion of the centre's revenue to a foundation that the Dreamgirls star co-founded in honour of her late nephew, Julian King.
The body of the seven-year-old was found in a vehicle a few days after Hudson's mother, Darnell Hudson Donerson, and brother, Jason Hudson, were found dead in the family's home in October 2008. All three had been shot. The estranged husband of Hudson's sister is charged in the killings and is awaiting trial.
Hudson, who started the foundation in King's honour with her sister, said she was inspired as a child by seeing the success of others.
"I love to target children, because that's the thing that makes a difference," she said. "We hope to do the same thing and start here at home in Chicago with health, with education, with dreams."
SLIDESHOW: Jennifer Hudson is not the only star who's shed the pounds before our eyes, see other weight-loss transformations below: