Kate Upton
Model Kate Upton has been criticized for appearing to gain some weight and rumors are circulating that she is pregnant. Reuters

She recently spoke about how she had been “begging for this body my whole life,” but now people are criticizing model Kate Upton for appearing to gain some weight and starting rumors that she is pregnant.

Upton, 22, was shopping with model friend Lily Aldridge last week and wore a loose- fitting dress, The Hollywood Gossip reported, which “led to increased speculation that Kate has packed on some pounds recently.”

Rumors were further fueled, the gossip site noted, when Upton reportedly toasted with water during a date with her boyfriend, Justin Verlander, leading many to believe she is expecting a baby. She also stepped out on Sunday night holding a black purse in front of her stomach in photos on E! News.

Speculation continued on Monday, when the Sports Illustrated model cheered on Verlander during the Detroit Tigers game against the New York Yankees. Upton, who was sitting behind the dugout and received a game ball from Verlander, appeared to have gained weight, wearing an all-white ensemble. That’s when the “pregnant or not” questioning began.

Most recently, Upton, who has long struggled with the fashion industry and its opinions about her body, addressed her figure in Elle UK’s September issue.

“When I first started modelling, I was a normal catalogue model,” Upton said. “Then, I became a woman, and I was really excited about becoming a woman.”

She said being from Florida, where “it’s all about being in bathing suits,” changed her perspective.

“It’s a different view of beauty there,” she said. “You are ugly if you don’t have a curvy body. And I didn’t have one, and then I got one, and thought, ‘Yessss!’”

She said that people have called her “healthy,” much to her dismay. “And you’re like, ‘Wait – what? I’ve been begging for this body my whole life!’”

And despite critics who have said she's gained weight, Upton told OK! magazine her insecurities do not keep her inside.

“I still have body insecurities all the time,” she said. “I didn't realize how many women suffer from low self-esteem, some women can't go out and enjoy their lives if they're feeling insecure. But when I'm feeling insecure, I still live and go out and have fun.”