Priyanka Chopra Shares How Her Body Changed at 40: “Metabolism Takes a Big Hit”

Priyanka Chopra’s 40th birthday carried some mixed emotions. During a “Kelly Clarkson Show” interview shared on Aug. 16, the actor spoke about what’s changed since she turned 40 last July. “Do you feel different?” Clarkson asked, sharing that aging has personally made her wiser but has also made it more difficult to “bounce back” as quickly as before. Nodding in agreement, Chopra said the milestone has been a catalyst for plenty of personal growth. “The one thing that happened after 40 was I like to incubate a lot more,” she said. “I like to spend time with myself, my family.”

Chopra admitted that the physical toll of getting older has proven to be a tough adjustment. “Your metabolism takes a big hit. You’re like, ‘Oh, I see that sandwich for the next week,’ or that pizza. And I love food, I live for food. But my job doesn’t like the fact that I love food as much as I do,” she said, in reference to her modeling and acting work. “So that changes; your relationship with your body changes.”

Chopra previously opened up about body image while discussing cosmetic surgery on “The Howard Stern Show” in May, saying a botched nose surgery left her feeling depressed. “It was a dark phase,” the new mom said, adding that the experience sent her into a “deep, deep depression.” Chopra detailed the results of her surgery in her 2021 memoir “Unfinished.” “My face looked completely different. I wasn’t me anymore. I felt devastated and hopeless,” she wrote in the book. “My career, a career based so much on physical appearance, seemed to be over before it had even really started.”

With past experiences like these, it’s no wonder Chopra still feels the pressure. But as she explained to Clarkson, one good thing about turning 40 is getting to redefine what really matters. “My priorities have suddenly become really clear,” Chopra said. “I don’t sweat the little stuff.”