Missy Elliott has given her fans the skinny on getting skinny and offered an apology to the obese folks she may have offended in her "Pass That Dutch" video.

In a letter to fans posted on her Web site in late December, Missy answered those who, through the site's bulletin board, were angry that Missy was showing off a trimmer form recently. "To all my fans who are upset about this, I still represent for overweight adults and kids but I am also now painfully and personally aware of the health issues," she wrote.

The health issue referred to is hypertension, with which Missy admitted she was recently diagnosed. "Weight was my issue and I had to drop the pounds," she continued. "Look at Big Pun and Luther Vandross, I did not want to end up like them."

In the same letter, Missy apologized for her depiction of fat people in the "Pass That Dutch" video, particularly the visuals of four heavy ladies in a jeep during the lines, "If you's a fat one, put your clothes back on/ Before you start putting potholes in my lawn" (see "Missy The Scarecrow Riverdances In Cornfield For 'Pass That Dutch': Lens Recap").

"I simply meant that you should dress right for your body size," Missy explained. "I have always been a big girl myself and I always took pride in the fact that I never had to change my body to be considered beautiful or successful." Missy concluded the note by saying her real supporters would stand by her and support her effort to get healthy.

Evangelized fans who accept Missy's explanation can soon see her showing off more of her svelte self. Missy will shoot a video for "I'm Really Hot" with Bryan Barber in Los Angeles next week. The song is the second single from her most recent album, This Is Not a Test!