Introduction 

If you are on social media, watch TV/ movies, ever see advertisements, or just participate in conversations with friends around diets and body image, you have probably noticed the changing trends. For a while, it felt like there was some progress with body positivity, showing more body diversity in the media, and advocacy around weight stigma and the mental health challenges that this can bring. However, lately it seems like the pendulum is swinging the other way, and there is less body positivity in the media and more pressure to be skinny/ shrink ourselves. Read further to explore why this is happening now, and how we can stay grounded in body liberation values despite what may be happening in the media. 

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Why #SkinnyTok Now?   

Many people have felt a recent shift in our culture, away from body positivity and towards extreme thinness. There are a number of theories about why this shift has happened at this point in time, and understanding these patterns can help us stay grounded and not get caught up in the current fads. One factor is the rise in GLP-1s. We see celebrities who are already thin taking GLP-1s to make themselves even smaller. We also likely know someone who is taking them or has been offered them by a medical provider, or are already possibly taking them ourselves. With this medication making it seem easier and more accessible to lose weight, it becomes expected. It also reinforces the idea that skinny equals health: this is a medication being prescribed by doctors, it must be good for us to get thin! 

There is also often a connection between how body image is treated in the media and our current political climate. As fascism becomes more the norm, control over our bodies (especially femme bodies) follows. The conservative movement is fighting against bodily autonomy with reproductive care, pushing for women to lose the right to vote, and arguing that women should take on more traditional home-making roles. This same movement also benefits from women being pre-occupied with weight, dieting, and making themselves smaller. 

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What is Body Liberation?   

I am using the term ‘body liberation,’ which is a social movement that advocates for all bodies to be treated with respect, dignity, and freedom from oppression. Sometimes people use the terms ‘body positivity,’ ‘body love,’ ‘weight neutral,’ and many more. I like body liberation because it focuses on freedom from oppression, puts the blame where it belongs on systemic issues like racism, ableism, and sexism, and allows us each autonomy around what we do with our bodies. This also emphasizes the intersectionality of the issue, it’s not just about fat liberation or accepting people of different sizes, it’s also about black and brown rights, disability rights, trans rights, the list goes on. 

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Obstacles   

So why can’t we just embrace the ideology of Body Liberation and feel liberated in our bodies all the time??? That would be wonderful. Unfortunately, there are obstacles that get in the way. We have likely been exposed to messages about bodies- what is good, bad, healthy, unhealthy- since we were very young. These messages don’t just go away, even if we want them to. The people around us have also likely been inundated with these messages, so even when they mean well and want to be supportive, our friends and family are often reinforcing these harmful ideas. It can often feel like we must make our bodies fit into a certain mold in order to receive acceptance, support, and love. 

Finding Body Liberation 

Given our current culture and these obstacles that make body liberation so difficult, how do we get there? How do we find acceptance and maybe even love for our bodies as they are? Here are some strategies to try: 

1. Visual Diet: 

There is often so much focus on what we feed ourselves, let’s talk for a minute about our visual diet- what we consume through our eyes! Social media can be a great place to start: are you watching mostly thin / straight sized influencers? Take a minute to diversify your feed by following people of all shapes and sizes. Some of my favorites are: @theunderbellyyoga, @yourdailydoseofselflovee, and @supersizedsteph. 

This can also be done through TV, movies, and even books. If you find yourself watching mostly programming with thin people (and let’s face it, that is the majority of programming), take some time to explore options that have more body diversity. Here is one example of a list of shows (I am not advertising that these are good/body positive, but at least they show a variety of bodies!). You can also find book recommendations that celebrate fat and marginalized bodies with @unabridgedbodies. 

2. Body Neutrality and Appreciation: 

Our ultimate goal might be to love our bodies, but sometimes that goal feels completely out of reach and unattainable. Alternatively, can we just work on feeling neutral? Instead of criticizing our bodies for how they look, focus on what they do for us each day. Maybe I can’t love my body today, but I can stop focusing on what it looks like in this outfit, and start focusing on how it is walking me from the bus stop to work every day, how it digests the meals I eat, and how it keeps breathing throughout the day no matter how much stress I throw at it. 

3. Compassionate Body Scan: 

I have to thank clinician Jessie Sisneros for teaching me this one! A body scan is a mindfulness/ somatic tool that can be used to check in with each part of the body. In this version, Dr. Kristen Neff walks through a body scan that looks  at each part of our body with love and compassion. Doing a practice like this can help us feel appreciation for our bodies, and soften some of our criticism and harshness. Try it through video or audio here. 

4. Community: 

In some ways similar to visual diet, it can be useful to pause and ask ‘who am I spending my time with?’ Are we constantly surrounded by people dieting, praising smallness and thinness, or encouraging this way of thinking? Finding community with others who believe all bodies deserve respect can make a huge difference. This may mean socializing with people who identify as ‘fat’ or ‘bigger bodied,’ it may mean participating in movement such as a yoga class or a dance class specifically meant for bigger bodies. It may mean prioritizing relationships with friends, coworkers and family who share values of body liberation. 

5. Find the Right Providers: 

One life-changing strategy can be to find health care providers who identify as Health At Every Size (HAES) aligned. These are doctors, therapists, dieticians, etc. who know how harmful weight stigma can be, and work with people to move towards health and wellness in a way that does not focus on weight loss or food restriction. Finding help for illness, preventative care, mental health, injury, etc. should not also come with a fear of being shamed around weight. It can take some time and research, but finding a provider who is values aligned and HAES can be well worth it. 

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Conclusion 

Trends in culture and media will continue to shift and change, so it is important for us to stay grounded in our own values. What we see in the media will inevitably affect us, but we can also choose not get swept up in that or let it ruin work we’ve already done. We get to choose our own principles and how we live those. By staying grounded, choosing what media we consume, and staying connected to others who are like-minded in these ways, we can stand strong in body liberation.

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Further Reading/ Listening 

• Intuitive Eating: An Anti-Diet Revolutionary Approach by Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch 
• Intuitive Eating
• Fat Talk: Parenting in the Age of Diet Culture by Virginia Sole Smith 
• Maintenance Phase
• Food Psych