An article in the New York Post recently stated that curvy bodies seem to be going out of style and that “heroin chic” is back. In reference to Paris Fashion Week and a Miu Miu show in Milan, the article states, “The skinnies sashaying down the runway are a drastic shift from the ‘slim thick’ and body positivity that had been in vogue in recent years.” It discusses how celebrities seem to be shifting their appearance to a more petite body type and how this has impacted social media. After spending the entire article talking about women’s bodies in terms of trends and referencing harmful and dangerous ways celebrities lose weight, the piece ends with what feels like an obligatory statement that includes resources for anyone struggling with an eating disorder.
While this kind of rhetoric surrounding women’s bodies is not new, it is still harmful. This article and articles like it promote an unrealistic body type to mostly young people, specifically young girls. Young women are also heavily influenced by what we see on social media. Instagram and TikTok are a cesspool of heavy editing, influencers selling “supplements” to improve health, and people who won’t own up to the fact that they’ve had plastic surgery of some sort. It is fine if you want to edit your photos or if you’ve had work done. However, trying to convince people that if they take the same supplements as you and do your workout routine, they’ll have the same results as you is where the problem lies.
Photo Credit: Universal Standard
We can see the impact the way people discuss women’s bodies is having on young women. 90% of teenagers with anorexia are female. 69% of adolescent females say that models and celebrities inspire what they think is a perfect body shape, and by 17 years old, 89% of girls have dieted for some reason or another.
I know from personal experience the impact that society’s view of what a woman should look like can have. For years I have struggled with my own body image, and I have felt that I am not good enough as I am. I have only recently begun to feel comfortable in my skin and I am still working on loving myself. Still, seeing people talk about body types as trends makes that difficult.
Photo credit: Steven Ferdman/Getty Images
I don’t think that we should exclusively look to celebrities for inspiration on what our bodies should look like. However, we should look to celebrities who truly promote body positivity like Lizzo, Megan Thee Stallion, and Jameela Jamil. These women and women like them are the role models we need. They are unapologetically themselves and that’s what we should be teaching teenage girls. If you take one thing away from this, please let it be that what women’s bodies look like is none of your business and our bodies are not fucking trends.