Slowly but surely, the internet has moved away from glorifying skinny bodies and weight loss to a more neutral and accepting perception of our bodies.
Plus-size models started to appear more on the runway, and the word ‘inclusivity’ rose to the top of our vocabulary.
But society in general seems to have a generational trend cycle when it comes to weight loss and appearance politics.
The late ‘90s and early 2000s brought on an obsession with diet pills and diet culture, which passed itself on to the early 2010s when images of skinny, white, blonde teenagers reigned supreme on Tumblr.
Eating disorders and the language around them were rampant and the predominant aesthetic was that of the ‘sad girl’ with protruding shoulder blades.
The end of 2010, however, brought about the body-positivity and acceptance movement.
But we seem to be back to the beginning again.
TikTok, now one of the biggest facilitators of trend cycles, seems to have turned back in the direction of the ‘90s and early 2000s when thinness was the ultimate goal.
This is evident in many ways- runways seem to be less inclusive and early-aughts style is having a resurgence.
But one of the biggest indicators is a renewed interest in weight-loss drugs: both online and in the media, we’ve seen the rise of Ozempic.
Those promoting Ozempic for cosmetic weight loss claim that it offers a fast, no-frills option for slimming down.
In other words, it’s apparently the so-called miracle drug we’ve all been waiting for.
Of course, that’s not the full picture: Ozempic may trigger weight loss, but only while a person takes the drug.
One study found that the majority of people gained back most of the weight they lost while using semaglutide one year after stopping the medication.
Ozempic, a brand name for the injectable form of a drug called semaglutide, i meant to treat type 2 diabetes- and it can also suppress the appetite and lead to weight loss.
Ozempic was rumored to be the secret behind several recent celebrity weight-loss ‘transformations’, and TikTok videos featuring creators talking about and taking Ozempic have millions of views, with even more comments from users asking how to get their hands on the drug.
The result? A shortage of Ozempic, and this off-label use of Ozempic is greatly impacting the availability of the medication for those who need it most.
Instead of leading to better health and more satisfaction, our obsessive cycle of dieting and being skinny is leading to disordered eating and the abuse of prescription medication.
It is also a part of dangerous messaging to youth that implies they should stop at nothing, including injecting diabetes medicine, to achieve what our society lauds as the perfect body.
