Can we talk about the shrinking bodies of celebrities and influencers?

This question has come up a lot, with a range of answers.

My answer is yes—but with some very big and clear caveats.

Of course, you want to talk about it, and often they want you to.

It’s true that celebrities and influencers are a sociopolitical mirror and that what they do deliberately and incidentally influences what people say, how they feel and how trends play out. Some celebs and influencers are leveraging this, others are falling victim to it.

So, yes, we need to talk about it.

BUT!

There is a big difference between talking about trends and patterns and judging individuals for the choices they make for their bodies.

AND

We need to be careful who we place the burden on.  

AND

We can separate discussions of bodies from discussions of behaviour.

AND

We should be careful not to be hypocritical.  

Talking About Trends Without Judging Individuals

It’s fair to discuss broader trends and societal standards, but we can do that without policing individual bodies. We can critique norms and pressures without assuming we understand someone’s personal situation. A body changing is not an invitation for judgment, speculation, or assumptions about a person’s health, values, or choices.

Who Bears the Burden of Scrutiny?

The conversation is often gendered, focusing primarily on women. Men who lose weight rarely face the same level of scrutiny. This reflects a broader issue: society’s persistent belief in the collective ownership of women’s bodies.

Additionally, much of the focus is on women in larger bodies who lose weight, rather than slim women who become even thinner. This places a double burden on women in larger bodies—they are judged for being “too big” and then judged again for losing weight, as if they have betrayed body positivity.

There’s also a disproportionate critique of women of color—like Mindy Kaling, Lizzo, Oprah, and Whoopi Goldberg—compared to white women like Kelly Clarkson, Jessica Simpson, and the Osbournes. Body positivity should celebrate all bodies, not just some – and let’s not forget that body positivity exists on foundations built by people of colour and other communities in marginalised bodies.

Bodies vs. Behavior

Weight loss itself is not inherently problematic. Bodies change for many reasons—health, life circumstances, personal goals, mental health, genetics, and more. Supporting body positivity doesn’t mean expecting bodies to remain static.

The real concern is when weight loss is used to reinforce harmful narratives:

• The implication that everyone should be able to achieve the same results, regardless of genetics or circumstances.

• The idea that smaller bodies are inherently more valuable than larger ones.

• The promotion of unsafe weight loss methods or diet culture disguised as wellness.

We can and should discuss the difference between evidence-based health guidance and toxic diet culture, but we should not engage in public speculation about whether someone “looks healthy.”

Calling Out Harmful Behavior, Not Bodies

There’s plenty of damaging behavior in this space:

• People declaring that their weight loss has made them realize body positivity is a lie.

• Individuals judging others for not making the same choices they have.

• Influencers leveraging their newly slim bodies to sell harmful products or unrealistic lifestyles.

This is the behavior that’s worth scrutinizing—not the shape of someone’s body.

Let’s not be hypocrites.

Body positivity should not pit different body sizes against each other. My confidence in my larger body shouldn’t come at the expense of smaller-bodied people, just as their success shouldn’t rely on fatphobia or shame.

I’ve often been told that simply existing in my larger body online is “promoting obesity.” If I wear a doughnut-print dress, I’m accused of endorsing junk food. That logic is flawed—and so is the idea that losing weight automatically means someone is promoting diet culture.

We rightly celebrate celebrities and athletes who gain weight. But that same grace isn’t always extended to those who weren’t thin to begin with. If we shame people for weight loss, we risk being just as exclusionary as the forces we critique. Just as no one owes an explanation for weight gain, no one owes one for weight loss.

The bottom line.

I am valuable in my body, whatever its size. My commitment to body positivity doesn’t depend on my shape. It’s about rejecting harmful beauty standards while championing all bodies—including mine, whether it changes or not.

Two wrongs don’t make a right. We can’t claim to promote inclusion while throwing people under the bus.