Over the past few years, there has been a noticeable shift in the bodies of celebrities and influencers, particularly those who once proudly occupied and celebrated life in “larger bodies.” Many of these public figures were once vocal about body acceptance and self-love, often serving as symbols of the body-positivity movement. However, recently, social media has been flooded with before-and-after photos, speculation about the use of GLP-1 medications like Ozempic and Wegovy, and viral commentary dissecting who’s gotten “thin.” While some applaud these changes, others are left feeling confused, hurt, and even betrayed—especially those who once saw these figures as beacons of body diversity and resistance to diet culture.
As a therapist specializing in eating disorders and body image concerns, I’ve witnessed how profoundly these cultural moments affect people, especially those actively working to heal their relationship with food and their bodies.
Let’s discuss why this is so difficult and what we can do with the complex mix of emotions it evokes.
The Weight of a Cultural Shift
Celebrities hold a powerful place in our collective consciousness. When someone in the spotlight embraces body positivity, it can feel like validation for so many who’ve spent years being marginalized or scrutinized for their appearance. Seeing a celebrity in a larger body walk red carpets, book roles, or land major magazine covers can be profoundly affirming.
So when those same figures lose weight—particularly rapidly, and often through the use of medications originally intended for diabetes management—it can feel like a gut punch. It stirs up old questions: Is my body still okay? Were they just faking it before? Is thin still the ideal, no matter what people say?
These questions are painful. They’re also valid.
The Role of GLP-1 Medications
The emergence of GLP-1 receptor agonists such as Ozempic and Wegovy has changed the conversation around weight. These drugs are increasingly prescribed for weight loss, and they’re often presented as a kind of magic bullet: easy, fast, effective. But what we don’t often hear about are the risks, the side effects, or the ways these medications can reinforce the very weight stigma and disordered eating patterns so many of us are trying to unlearn.
For those in recovery from an eating disorder or chronic dieting, such widespread celebration of weight loss—especially when it comes from individuals who once appeared unapologetically embodied in a marginalized body and publicly rejected narrow beauty standards—can be profoundly unsettling, disrupting the ongoing and often fragile work of finding peace with one’s body and relationship with food.
Feeling Betrayed, and Why That’s Okay
If you feel betrayed, you are not alone. It’s okay to feel disappointed. It’s okay to grieve what felt like a shared mission toward body acceptance. These emotions don’t mean you’re being petty or judgmental; they mean you care deeply about something that matters.
What helps is naming the feeling without letting it morph into shame or projection. You can be sad or frustrated and still hold compassion for the individual. You can question the broader cultural forces at play without personally attacking those swept up in them.
After all, celebrities are not immune to the same pressures we all face. The pressure to be thin, especially for women and femmes, is relentless, and public figures endure a level of scrutiny that most of us can only imagine. That doesn’t excuse harmful messages, but it does help us understand the larger system we’re all trying to navigate.
This Isn’t New, and You’re Not Failing
If this moment feels eerily familiar, that’s because it is. Every decade seems to bring a new “solution” for weight loss: phentermine, B12 injections, human growth hormone, and now GLP-1 medications. These trends come packaged as innovation, but they recycle the same message: Thinner is better, and it’s worth doing almost anything to get there.
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Ground yourself in what you already know. Weight loss achieved through undernourishment isn’t sustainable. Your body is wise; it will adjust your metabolism, slow down processes, and work to protect you. When the weight inevitably comes back, it often brings with it shame, feelings of failure, and negative health impacts—not just physical, but emotional, too. The stakes are higher than “just gaining it back.” For many, it’s a painful cycle that chips away at dignity and mental health.
What You Can Do
- Acknowledge Your Feelings Without Self-Judgment. It’s okay to be angry, sad, or disillusioned. These feelings reflect your values and your desire for a more inclusive and compassionate world.
- Stay Rooted in Your Truth. Your body is no less worthy because someone else changed theirs. The value of body diversity hasn’t diminished because of shifting celebrity trends. You are still enough.
- Curate Your Media Environment. Protect your healing by curating your feed. Mute or unfollow accounts that leave you feeling badly about yourself and your body, and seek out voices that reaffirm body liberation, Health at Every Size, and lived experiences beyond the binary of weight loss and gain.
- Talk About It. Whether with a therapist, in a support group, or with trusted friends, processing these moments together helps us make sense of them. You are not alone in this.
In a Culture That Worships Thinness, Body Acceptance Is a Radical Act
We don’t need to vilify individual celebrities to acknowledge how their visible transformations land within a broader cultural context. It’s possible to hold disappointment, compassion, and clarity—the ability to see the larger patterns and stay grounded in your own perspective—all at the same time. It’s also okay to step back, grieve what once felt like solidarity, and recommit to your values. Your body, just as it is today, deserves respect, care, and love—not because of what it looks like, but because it houses your life.
If this brought up big feelings, consider reaching out to a therapist who specializes in body image concerns or eating disorders.
To find a therapist, visit the Psychology Today Therapy Directory.