Content Warning: This story contains discussion of eating disorders, depression and suicide.<\/p>\n
With unrealistic beauty standards in the entertainment industry on the rise, we are beginning to see a re-emergence of the same thinness that defined much of the ’90s and ’00s through extreme dieting, eating disorders and a generation\u2019s worth of body image issues.<\/p>\n
It is wrong to comment on someone\u2019s body. However, when it comes to genuine health concerns, it\u2019s important to call attention to harmful portrayals that may cause society to repeat a toxic history.<\/p>\n
Phrases like \u201cnothing tastes as good as skinny feels<\/a>,\u201d \u201cheroin chic<\/a>\u201d and \u201cthinspo<\/a>\u201d have normalized fatphobia<\/a> and created a culture of body shaming, specifically among women. These trends have been in media outlets, television and online for years, forming a lifestyle that causes nearly 10,200 deaths each year<\/a>, as of 2024, from side effects of eating disorders to depression and suicide from bullying.<\/p>\n After years of presence, the body positivity movement struck gold in the branding department as large companies began using marketing such as Dove’s Real Beauty Campaign<\/a> and Aerie’s #AerieREAL Campaign<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n This development changed how people viewed themselves through the lens of social media. In 2023, Psychology Today<\/a> reported that seeing body-positive images encouraged people to feel better about themselves and the concept of the \u201cideal body.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n While this outlook has increased overall self-esteem over the last decade or so, the recent inflation of scarcely thin body types has set society back quite a bit.<\/p>\n After the 2026 Oscars took place, social media wasn\u2019t consumed by discussion of who won what awards. They were instead more concerned with the appearances of the attendees.\u00a0<\/p>\n The focus on accentuating bones<\/a> and almost presenting them as artwork when it\u2019s really a sign of severe weight loss is getting out of hand. Dressing up the unhealthy cultural phenomenon in this modeled way pushes a normalized perspective that this is the preferred body image.<\/p>\n It\u2019s hard to say what exactly is causing this culture that is similar to that of the ’00s. With the increased usage<\/a> and targeted marketing of GLP-1 medications, as well as standardization of cosmetic surgery, many people are falling victim to the unrealistic societal expectations on people\u2019s bodies.<\/p>\n GLP-1s were originally made for people with diabetes and obesity<\/a>, but some are being used inappropriately for rapid weight loss. Many celebrities<\/a> have openly admitted to their use of these drugs, even promoting them in advertisements and on social media.<\/p>\n