The body image conversation is a curious one. I have followed it closely for decades, as have many other women. Many people who've been the most vocal advocates for accepting a fuller female form are now the ones on meds to become thin - a form they've openly blamed and criticized for decades. It sort of pulls the rug from under the movement for acceptance - was it all just a self-soothing mechanism? Thanks for writing this.
The societal pressure to shrink never goes away. It's always this low-level buzz (at times becoming much louder) in the background of your life as you work toward body acceptance.
This has been my belief for the last few years of giving up diets: If we lived in a vacuum, where there was no external pressure to make ourselves smaller, body acceptance would be easy. Instead, what happens is you do all this work to accept your body, in my case working to undo a lifetime of trying to shrink myself and never thinking what it was good enough no matter how small I got. And maybe you make progress. A lot of progress. And you understand the external pressure and where it comes from. But at the same time, you still live everyday of your life surrounded by the messages that fat is bad and thin is good. And in these last few years, the chatter around that message has reached deafening levels. It takes an act of unbelievable strength not to give into it.
I understand some of it. The part I struggle with is ‘this is because these other people put pressure on me.’ All kinds of pressure weigh on us, and we buckle under some without even noticing others. It must start with some spark from within.
100%. I intentionally didn't go down that path here, but, yes, capitalism is driving much of this madness. If we believe everything is within our control, there isn't a product or fix we won't try to make it better. And, of course, when it doesn't work, it's not the product, it's us as the individual that failed.
How do you even start to combat something like that? I wonder if there's ever been any kind of governmental mental health initiatives that actually worked
So so hard, right? And overwhelming. My current fantasy answer to this, and so many more problems, is to escape to a place where this isn't happening, but I'm not sure that place really exists or wouldn't eventually be corrupted in the same way. That's a pretty dark statement coming from me. I hope we find a better way.
Great article, Kristi! You explain so well the reach for the unattainable. I am part of the resistance, in your words, “everyday people alike who are taking a stand, proudly living their lives to the fullest with the bodies they exist in.” More of this, please.
What's changed is the reference point. We've become more likely to interpret this normal biological shift as yet one more thing that requires intervention.' This is the line, not just for weight, but as a pattern: something ordinary in aging gets recast as a problem the moment there's a product built to solve it. The Bourdieu point sharpens it further, once a standard becomes attainable, it stops working as a status marker, so the goalposts have to move again. Which means chasing the standard was never really about the standard.
That's a really good point that I hadn't really considered. At the core, it isn't really about thinness. That is simply the physical manifestation of status. We do know that this trend has shifted over the years. From the 14th-18th century Europe, a full-bodied figure was a sign of wealth and status in women. Sabrina Strings writes in "Fearing the Black Body" about how the introduction of the slave trade in Europe in the 18th century drove that shift toward thinness.
Great article! I’m really struggling with my eating disorder right now and I have asked my mom not to comment on my appearance because it only fuels my ED and makes me feel like I’m still not bad enough compared to all the celebrities we’re seeing that look unwell. I know she’s scared, but I wish she could see that commenting on how I look doesn’t motivate me.
For me, seeing all the thinning celebrities also makes me feel invalid because they are likely still exercising, have a social life, etc., while my life has become so narrow by my ED. Obviously they have all kinds of resources I don’t have access to, but it’s still hard to see constant stories about them.
Regarding GLP-1s, I know they can be super helpful for a lot of people. My dad is on one for diabetes and it has really improved his health. But I get really frustrated when I see people on them who eat less than I do as someone who struggles with anorexia. Why is it suddenly okay to starve yourself to extremely low calorie amounts and exercise crazy amounts if you’re in a larger body? Our culture’s ideas about food and bodies need to be overturned.
This breaks my heart, Elizabeth. I'm sorry your mother cannot honor your request, which is frankly standard protocol for helping a loved one with an eating disorder. It makes me think she doesn't understand this illness and the seriousness of it. And I understand it's hard. In so many ways, helping loved ones with eating disorders means unlearning basically everything we've been taught about food and bodies, that's often been handed down from generation to generation. That's not a good enough excuse, and I hope she finds a way to do better. "Anorexia and Other Eating Disorders" by Eva Musby was the book that most helped me understand what my loved ones were going through. https://anorexiafamily.com
As far as your other comment about these thinning celebrities, this is what makes eating disorders so incredibly unfair. Every single body has a different tipping point into the danger zone because we all have different biology. It's so unfair, and yet there's also nothing we can do about that aspect of it. And I know you know this, but with all this social and mass media coverage, we only see what people want to show us. It looks a certain way, but the reality is likely far different. I agree it's totally messed up.
Thank you for sharing all this. It takes huge amounts of strength and courage to talk about these struggles so honestly. I'm wishing you all the best as you continue navigating this.
I’m 33 and have been struggling with my ED for 19 years. I really don’t fault my mom at this point. She’s terrified and scared I won’t be alive if I continue on this path. I am getting medical monitoring with my dietitian and I’m medically stable (although malnourished). My mom loves me more than anyone in the world, so I try to understand her perspective, even when she says things that are unhelpful. I’ve been in every level of care and she is the most intuitive eater I’ve ever known, so she didn’t pass down disordered eating at all. I wish I could approach food and movement with as much ease as she does, but I’m terrified to let go of my ED after this long.
Eating disorders are so misunderstood too. I hate the assumption that you’re only in danger if you look like you are dying. It’s just hard not to feel sick enough. My weight is lower than it ever has been as an adult, but I’ve seen people at much lower weights than me, though I’m sure they experience more consequences and risk of death too.
I’m sure so many of the celebrities who are shrinking are truly miserable. I can’t imagine having to show up on a red carpet in my current state and constantly be around people and work on sets.
Eating disorders thrive in secrecy, so I try to advocate about them when I can. Not many people in my real life know, besides my family and best friend I’ve known since middle school. It’s so hard to hide when I’m in such deep turmoil right now though. I work almost fully remote, so my coworkers presumably have no idea what I’m going through. Some may suspect from my appearance at a couple of in person things, but I think so many are oblivious to eating disorders because the behaviors are so normalized.
Another well-written, thought-provoking article, Kristi. THANK YOU. I know that GLP-1s have helped people with diabetes, etc. and I think that's great. But it concerns me when athletes like Serena Williams are promoting them to lose less than 20 pounds. I thought about trying them, too, because I have PCOS, and they're supposed to help with insulin resistance. But the side effects TERRIFY me, and we have no studies showing long-term effects. So I won't be taking one.
I don't know when our culture decided that thinness = health and that thinness = beauty. We have paintings, drawings, and sculptures of women in other centuries that show full-figured women with stomachs and big thighs. Somewhere along the way, we lost this, and now, being bombarded 24 hours a day with images of thin women, I don't know if we will ever recover it.
We do have some evidence that at least one shift from fuller-figured women to thinness happened in 18th century Europe with the introduction of the slave trade. There needed to be a way to differentiate the bodies of the wealthy upper class and the African slaves, so the ideal changed. Sabrina Strings writes about this, along with more examples of how this current drive toward thinness, has its roots in racism in "Fearing the Black Body." We really begin to see that so much of this is about preserving social status.
It's appalling to me how little we still know about eating disorders, and especially the medical community. When you combine that with their rampant anti-fat bias, it means so many people end up suffering without diagnosis or treatment.
I 100% agree and I wonder whether now that we are seeing a rapid increase in the number of boys and men with EDs if more time and money will be invested in these areas. I hope so....
I had a doctor recommend intermittent fasting eat two meals a day. If you get hungry have some bone broth. I found myself having headaches and couldn’t fast for twelve hours. I am not going to follow this advice.
Ooooooohhhh I’m here for this article! Ok. First- GLP-1 culture is dangerous. The black box warnings on the drugs along with the severity of the side effects are just one reason why. The unhealthy way the body loses muscle mass - (and women NEED muscle mass to survive especially in menopause) the eye ball rot (wtf?) and of course the Gastro/organ problems are all too much for my brain to handle.
Moving on , the way people are choosing this over eating better and exercise? Please.
But look, this isn’t the first lose weight fast fad and it won’t be the last. People are forever going for the quick fix and Damn the consequences right?
Meanwhile I did have the memo belly issues for three years. It took a lot of trial and error and I mean a lot and doctors brushed me off and so on and so forth but I finally found a way to lose the weight, it’s absolutely possible, unfortunately many people don’t want to do the hard work.
Thanks for reading and sharing here! I know how frustrating it can be to be brushed off while trying to figure out what's happening to your body, so I'm glad you found something that worked for you.
I agree with most of what you're saying here. I just don't think "hard work" is the answer for every person on the planet. I lived most of my life following extreme eating and exercise patterns that most people would consider absolutely crazy, was a personal trainer through my 20s and competitive recreational athlete into my 40s, and yet I could never achieve (or sustain) the level of thinness I thought I ought to. For so many years, I thought this was a personal failing, and I just don't buy it anymore.
Even if we were all eating and exercising exactly the same way, we'd still have variations in fat, muscle mass, bone density, and overall health. There's just too many differences in biology from person to person.
My point is that this is overprescribed. The long term effects of this relatively new RX are not known.
And You are correct. The Boxed warning states Thyroid C-cell tumors / medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC). The FDA says the tumors were observed in rodents.
It also states : -Ozempic should not be used by people with a personal or family history of MTC or MEN 2.
-Acute pancreatitis
May occur
Including fatal and non-fatal hemorrhagic or necrotizing pancreatitis.
- The label specifically says severe hypoglycemia can occur.
-Acute kidney injury
* Cases have occurred, including cases requiring hemodialysis.
* The label says many occurred after nausea, vomiting or diarrhea caused dehydration.
-Severe gastrointestinal reactions
* GI reactions can sometimes be severe.
* Ozempic is not recommended for people with severe gastroparesis.
-Acute gallbladder disease
* Including gallstones (cholelithiasis) and gallbladder inflammation (cholecystitis).
-Pulmonary aspiration during anesthesia/deep sedation
* Because Ozempic delays stomach emptying, there have been rare postmarketing reports of aspiration into the lungs during procedures, even when patients followed fasting instructions.
The drugs are a miracle for many of us. Do not vilify the thing saving the lives of so many of us. They are entirely appropriate for people with obesity. Just because some people misuse them isn’t a reason to vilify them.
I don’t love GLP-1s, but I don’t think people are using them because they are a “quick fix.” You still have to eat well and exercise when you are on them. My concern is people continuing them despite side effects and not even being able to eat 1200 calories on them, which is essentially an eating disorder.
I wish the truth was that a person on GLp-1 still has to eat well and exercise. That might make the growing fad more tolerable. Unfortunately, you don’t have to exercise or eat well- You should and your doctor will tell you to, but it’s not necessary for the weight loss. The fact that online “health” professionals are offering “micro-dosing” for people who are a far cry from overweight is a telltale that this isn’t about health anyway. But most of us know that. The medial industry has mostly become a sad state.
These drugs saved me. I needed to lose 90 pounds and did so. I’m not fat or skinny. I’m wearing a size medium and am content.
All my health metrics are now good.
I have no status. I don’t care about fashion. I do care about my mobility.
If some people abuse these drugs, that’s unfortunate but I see a lot of vilification of these drugs based on thin status-obsessed women seeking to be thinner. But don’t forget — the drugs are doing a lot of good for many of us.
The body image conversation is a curious one. I have followed it closely for decades, as have many other women. Many people who've been the most vocal advocates for accepting a fuller female form are now the ones on meds to become thin - a form they've openly blamed and criticized for decades. It sort of pulls the rug from under the movement for acceptance - was it all just a self-soothing mechanism? Thanks for writing this.
The societal pressure to shrink never goes away. It's always this low-level buzz (at times becoming much louder) in the background of your life as you work toward body acceptance.
This has been my belief for the last few years of giving up diets: If we lived in a vacuum, where there was no external pressure to make ourselves smaller, body acceptance would be easy. Instead, what happens is you do all this work to accept your body, in my case working to undo a lifetime of trying to shrink myself and never thinking what it was good enough no matter how small I got. And maybe you make progress. A lot of progress. And you understand the external pressure and where it comes from. But at the same time, you still live everyday of your life surrounded by the messages that fat is bad and thin is good. And in these last few years, the chatter around that message has reached deafening levels. It takes an act of unbelievable strength not to give into it.
I understand some of it. The part I struggle with is ‘this is because these other people put pressure on me.’ All kinds of pressure weigh on us, and we buckle under some without even noticing others. It must start with some spark from within.
Let's not forget one all-important underlying factor: allllllll of this shit makes someone money.
100%. I intentionally didn't go down that path here, but, yes, capitalism is driving much of this madness. If we believe everything is within our control, there isn't a product or fix we won't try to make it better. And, of course, when it doesn't work, it's not the product, it's us as the individual that failed.
How do you even start to combat something like that? I wonder if there's ever been any kind of governmental mental health initiatives that actually worked
So so hard, right? And overwhelming. My current fantasy answer to this, and so many more problems, is to escape to a place where this isn't happening, but I'm not sure that place really exists or wouldn't eventually be corrupted in the same way. That's a pretty dark statement coming from me. I hope we find a better way.
Great article, Kristi! You explain so well the reach for the unattainable. I am part of the resistance, in your words, “everyday people alike who are taking a stand, proudly living their lives to the fullest with the bodies they exist in.” More of this, please.
Thanks, Jessica. It makes me so happy to know we've got a solid tribe of women doing what they can in this fight.
What's changed is the reference point. We've become more likely to interpret this normal biological shift as yet one more thing that requires intervention.' This is the line, not just for weight, but as a pattern: something ordinary in aging gets recast as a problem the moment there's a product built to solve it. The Bourdieu point sharpens it further, once a standard becomes attainable, it stops working as a status marker, so the goalposts have to move again. Which means chasing the standard was never really about the standard.
That's a really good point that I hadn't really considered. At the core, it isn't really about thinness. That is simply the physical manifestation of status. We do know that this trend has shifted over the years. From the 14th-18th century Europe, a full-bodied figure was a sign of wealth and status in women. Sabrina Strings writes in "Fearing the Black Body" about how the introduction of the slave trade in Europe in the 18th century drove that shift toward thinness.
Great article! I’m really struggling with my eating disorder right now and I have asked my mom not to comment on my appearance because it only fuels my ED and makes me feel like I’m still not bad enough compared to all the celebrities we’re seeing that look unwell. I know she’s scared, but I wish she could see that commenting on how I look doesn’t motivate me.
For me, seeing all the thinning celebrities also makes me feel invalid because they are likely still exercising, have a social life, etc., while my life has become so narrow by my ED. Obviously they have all kinds of resources I don’t have access to, but it’s still hard to see constant stories about them.
Regarding GLP-1s, I know they can be super helpful for a lot of people. My dad is on one for diabetes and it has really improved his health. But I get really frustrated when I see people on them who eat less than I do as someone who struggles with anorexia. Why is it suddenly okay to starve yourself to extremely low calorie amounts and exercise crazy amounts if you’re in a larger body? Our culture’s ideas about food and bodies need to be overturned.
This breaks my heart, Elizabeth. I'm sorry your mother cannot honor your request, which is frankly standard protocol for helping a loved one with an eating disorder. It makes me think she doesn't understand this illness and the seriousness of it. And I understand it's hard. In so many ways, helping loved ones with eating disorders means unlearning basically everything we've been taught about food and bodies, that's often been handed down from generation to generation. That's not a good enough excuse, and I hope she finds a way to do better. "Anorexia and Other Eating Disorders" by Eva Musby was the book that most helped me understand what my loved ones were going through. https://anorexiafamily.com
As far as your other comment about these thinning celebrities, this is what makes eating disorders so incredibly unfair. Every single body has a different tipping point into the danger zone because we all have different biology. It's so unfair, and yet there's also nothing we can do about that aspect of it. And I know you know this, but with all this social and mass media coverage, we only see what people want to show us. It looks a certain way, but the reality is likely far different. I agree it's totally messed up.
Thank you for sharing all this. It takes huge amounts of strength and courage to talk about these struggles so honestly. I'm wishing you all the best as you continue navigating this.
I’m 33 and have been struggling with my ED for 19 years. I really don’t fault my mom at this point. She’s terrified and scared I won’t be alive if I continue on this path. I am getting medical monitoring with my dietitian and I’m medically stable (although malnourished). My mom loves me more than anyone in the world, so I try to understand her perspective, even when she says things that are unhelpful. I’ve been in every level of care and she is the most intuitive eater I’ve ever known, so she didn’t pass down disordered eating at all. I wish I could approach food and movement with as much ease as she does, but I’m terrified to let go of my ED after this long.
Eating disorders are so misunderstood too. I hate the assumption that you’re only in danger if you look like you are dying. It’s just hard not to feel sick enough. My weight is lower than it ever has been as an adult, but I’ve seen people at much lower weights than me, though I’m sure they experience more consequences and risk of death too.
I’m sure so many of the celebrities who are shrinking are truly miserable. I can’t imagine having to show up on a red carpet in my current state and constantly be around people and work on sets.
Eating disorders thrive in secrecy, so I try to advocate about them when I can. Not many people in my real life know, besides my family and best friend I’ve known since middle school. It’s so hard to hide when I’m in such deep turmoil right now though. I work almost fully remote, so my coworkers presumably have no idea what I’m going through. Some may suspect from my appearance at a couple of in person things, but I think so many are oblivious to eating disorders because the behaviors are so normalized.
Another well-written, thought-provoking article, Kristi. THANK YOU. I know that GLP-1s have helped people with diabetes, etc. and I think that's great. But it concerns me when athletes like Serena Williams are promoting them to lose less than 20 pounds. I thought about trying them, too, because I have PCOS, and they're supposed to help with insulin resistance. But the side effects TERRIFY me, and we have no studies showing long-term effects. So I won't be taking one.
I don't know when our culture decided that thinness = health and that thinness = beauty. We have paintings, drawings, and sculptures of women in other centuries that show full-figured women with stomachs and big thighs. Somewhere along the way, we lost this, and now, being bombarded 24 hours a day with images of thin women, I don't know if we will ever recover it.
Thank you!
We do have some evidence that at least one shift from fuller-figured women to thinness happened in 18th century Europe with the introduction of the slave trade. There needed to be a way to differentiate the bodies of the wealthy upper class and the African slaves, so the ideal changed. Sabrina Strings writes about this, along with more examples of how this current drive toward thinness, has its roots in racism in "Fearing the Black Body." We really begin to see that so much of this is about preserving social status.
That is fascinating! And it makes total sense. Thank you for the reading recommendation.
I agree. I was diagnosed with anorexia when Karen Carpenter died and it makes me so sad that we don't seem to have come very far.
It's appalling to me how little we still know about eating disorders, and especially the medical community. When you combine that with their rampant anti-fat bias, it means so many people end up suffering without diagnosis or treatment.
I 100% agree and I wonder whether now that we are seeing a rapid increase in the number of boys and men with EDs if more time and money will be invested in these areas. I hope so....
I had a doctor recommend intermittent fasting eat two meals a day. If you get hungry have some bone broth. I found myself having headaches and couldn’t fast for twelve hours. I am not going to follow this advice.
Ooooooohhhh I’m here for this article! Ok. First- GLP-1 culture is dangerous. The black box warnings on the drugs along with the severity of the side effects are just one reason why. The unhealthy way the body loses muscle mass - (and women NEED muscle mass to survive especially in menopause) the eye ball rot (wtf?) and of course the Gastro/organ problems are all too much for my brain to handle.
Moving on , the way people are choosing this over eating better and exercise? Please.
But look, this isn’t the first lose weight fast fad and it won’t be the last. People are forever going for the quick fix and Damn the consequences right?
Meanwhile I did have the memo belly issues for three years. It took a lot of trial and error and I mean a lot and doctors brushed me off and so on and so forth but I finally found a way to lose the weight, it’s absolutely possible, unfortunately many people don’t want to do the hard work.
OK, rant over - loved the article.
Thanks for reading and sharing here! I know how frustrating it can be to be brushed off while trying to figure out what's happening to your body, so I'm glad you found something that worked for you.
I agree with most of what you're saying here. I just don't think "hard work" is the answer for every person on the planet. I lived most of my life following extreme eating and exercise patterns that most people would consider absolutely crazy, was a personal trainer through my 20s and competitive recreational athlete into my 40s, and yet I could never achieve (or sustain) the level of thinness I thought I ought to. For so many years, I thought this was a personal failing, and I just don't buy it anymore.
Even if we were all eating and exercising exactly the same way, we'd still have variations in fat, muscle mass, bone density, and overall health. There's just too many differences in biology from person to person.
My point is that this is overprescribed. The long term effects of this relatively new RX are not known.
And You are correct. The Boxed warning states Thyroid C-cell tumors / medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC). The FDA says the tumors were observed in rodents.
It also states : -Ozempic should not be used by people with a personal or family history of MTC or MEN 2.
-Acute pancreatitis
May occur
Including fatal and non-fatal hemorrhagic or necrotizing pancreatitis.
- The label specifically says severe hypoglycemia can occur.
-Acute kidney injury
* Cases have occurred, including cases requiring hemodialysis.
* The label says many occurred after nausea, vomiting or diarrhea caused dehydration.
-Severe gastrointestinal reactions
* GI reactions can sometimes be severe.
* Ozempic is not recommended for people with severe gastroparesis.
-Acute gallbladder disease
* Including gallstones (cholelithiasis) and gallbladder inflammation (cholecystitis).
-Pulmonary aspiration during anesthesia/deep sedation
* Because Ozempic delays stomach emptying, there have been rare postmarketing reports of aspiration into the lungs during procedures, even when patients followed fasting instructions.
The drugs are a miracle for many of us. Do not vilify the thing saving the lives of so many of us. They are entirely appropriate for people with obesity. Just because some people misuse them isn’t a reason to vilify them.
Certainly not disregarding what you say nor am I against medicine.
However, This drug is very overprescribed and overused. (As are many others)
And I am Not vilifying GLP-1s. The Black Box warning does that.
That warning doesn’t vilify them. It warns of a risk in rodent studies that has NOT been confirmed in humans. It’s theoretical.
I don’t love GLP-1s, but I don’t think people are using them because they are a “quick fix.” You still have to eat well and exercise when you are on them. My concern is people continuing them despite side effects and not even being able to eat 1200 calories on them, which is essentially an eating disorder.
I wish the truth was that a person on GLp-1 still has to eat well and exercise. That might make the growing fad more tolerable. Unfortunately, you don’t have to exercise or eat well- You should and your doctor will tell you to, but it’s not necessary for the weight loss. The fact that online “health” professionals are offering “micro-dosing” for people who are a far cry from overweight is a telltale that this isn’t about health anyway. But most of us know that. The medial industry has mostly become a sad state.
These drugs saved me. I needed to lose 90 pounds and did so. I’m not fat or skinny. I’m wearing a size medium and am content.
All my health metrics are now good.
I have no status. I don’t care about fashion. I do care about my mobility.
If some people abuse these drugs, that’s unfortunate but I see a lot of vilification of these drugs based on thin status-obsessed women seeking to be thinner. But don’t forget — the drugs are doing a lot of good for many of us.
I am so disturbed by optimization as the new class code. I appreciate this post!