New Era of Extreme Thinness Needs Better Language

Public figures are thinner than ever, and the internet has a single word for it: Ozempic.

The new body-shaming meme

Jemima Kirke pushed back against this trend in May 2023 after a fan commented on her Instagram post. Kirke, who denied using weight-loss medication, argued that people make specific inferences about a person based on their size. Dozens of celebrities—from Mindy Kaling to Lana Del Rey—have faced similar accusations. The accusation is new, but the inclination is old. People have forever wanted to know why a body changes, and often declare that they do know why.

Former speculation about eating disorders or substance misuse has shifted to the “skinny shot.” While some critics argue that ignoring extreme thinness is equally harmful, others say calling it out is necessary. Avery Edison, a content creator, tweeted that “don’t talk about womens’ bodies!” has turned into “we as a culture must ignore and talk around eating disorders.” Edison told Dazed that pointing out a potential eating disorder is not an attack, but an attempt to prevent the normalization of that disease.

The downside of public concern

However, experts suggest that pointing out a celebrity’s potential illness in public comments might do more harm than good. Emma Specter, author of the forthcoming book More, Please, argues that this is a systemic problem, not an individual one. Specter says that calling people out for being too thin feels like avoiding the real issue. “Shame is rarely productive,” she noted.

Ultimately, the endless cycle of internet discourse about public figures’ bodies does not meaningfully change hearts and minds. It merely sustains a society obsessed with beauty standards that feel impossible to obtain. Specter suggests that the most effective approach is to stop policing bodies altogether. “I’m better served to keep trying to fight off fatphobia and diet-culture brain wherever they show up in my own life, rather than litigating the finer points of other people’s physical forms.”