Jennifer Hudson takes new role for weight loss

Actress and singer Jennifer Hudson on Thursday took on a new role as a spokeswoman for Weight Watchers after slimming down since she gave birth more than seven months ago.

The 28-year-old Hudson, who has appeared in a handful of movies since winning the best supporting actress Oscar for her debut film role in 2006's Dreamgirls, says she dropped the weight in order to encourage a healthier lifestyle for her new son, David Jr.

"No one recognises me any more," she said on television show Good Morning America.. "After I had the baby, I made up my mind that I wanted to go in a different direction and find a better lifestyle.

"I decided to do Weight Watchers," she said. "I feel like I've conquered the world."

Hudson, a former American Idol contestant who won a Grammy award for her self-titled 2008 album, does not reveal how much weight she lost in her Weight Watcher ads, which begin airing on US television on Sunday.

She joins other celebrities such as Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, who in past years have touted the health company's weight-loss programs, food and other products.

Hudson will soon begin work on a new movie in which she plays Winnie Mandela, the former wife of Nelson Mandela.

"I have just reached a new milestone," she said. "I was very comfortable with myself before, I have never had a problem with it. It's just OK, I have a child now and I want to set a great example for him."