Now I know I’ve got to take control.

Hot on the heels of my earlier post regarding Janet Jackson comes more news about the, ahem, larger-than-life singer. Refuting an earlier claim by boyfriend Jermaine Dupri that a movie role was the reason Janet has packed on the pounds, today’s Page Six in The New York Post alleges that it’s really because she’s spent the last few years finding comfort in cuisine. Janet’s experienced more than her share of bad publicity as of late - a scandalous Super Bowl halftime show, the disappointing reception from her fans to her last album, Damita Jo, and brother Michael’s child molestation court battles. And according to sources, it was all this stress that lead to all that stuffing.

And if those events weren’t enough to drive a girl to gobble, Virgin Records, Janet’s distributor, have given her another one – it’s rumored that they’ve refused to release her upcoming album this September unless Janet regains her old figure...or at least one that resembles it. The same source who commented on Janet’s weight to Page Six also says, “This new album is supposed to be pretty good, but Virgin feels it can't market it without Janet being back in fighting form….she has to lose at least 20 pounds.” To help her accomplish this goal, Virgin has put her on a diet and hired a personal trainer to get her back into shape. Kinda gives new meaning to the phrase “singing for your supper,” doesn’t it?