This article was written by The Zillennial Zine’s spring editorial intern Amna Faheem. Find her on Instagram at @amnaf.aheem. If you would like to share an article with The Zillennial, send us an email at thezillennialzine@gmail.com.
What started as a medication designed to ward off diabetes to those inflicted with the disease turned into a weight loss supplement for those in both high and low social standings. Ozempic has swept the nation and divided people online over its use and the potential abuse of the medication. Those with diabetes, the target audience of Ozempic, have begun to complain over the shortage of the drug, calling out celebrities rumored to be using it for their personal gains. Aside from the concern surrounding the ethics of its use, Ozempic poses health issues like a lack of nutrition, low appetite, a deficiency in crucial vitamins, and low blood sugar.
The Body Positivity Movement
The body positivity movement has gained traction in the past few years with many ‘plus sized’ influencers like Remi Bader (@remiwolf) and Alanna Manning (@curvylanna) pushing to dismantle the strict atmosphere of ‘skinny’ people. Videos like ‘Is it a fit or is she just skinny’ that recreate questionable outfits worn by skinnier celebrities often prove that people who are smaller are more accepted and questioned less. When someone who is plus-sized, or just not skinny based on our social standards, attempts to do the same, they are ripped apart online. People feel too comfortable being unkind online to someone who doesn’t align with what we have decided as the image of beauty. The rising body positivity movement took a significant blunder with the increased use of Ozempic among celebrities like Rebel Wilson, Kathy Bates, and Oprah. It seems to be a struggle of Ozempic versus body positivity as the medication becomes more and more mainstream.
In a society that constantly prioritizes members that are size two and below, pushing diets like Khloe Kardashian’s Keto lifestyle, and stating that someone who likes like Bella Hadid- known for her quite skinny figure- is the epitome of prettiness, we often leave out people with normal body types. The idea that a woman with curves has to actively learn to love herself is absurd. That someone with a bigger chest or with thighs that might not have space between them needs to consciously unlearn the years of repression imposed by society for not being ‘pretty enough’ is nonsensical. The pressure that a new mother faces to bounce back immediately is foolish and the guilt for not doing so is often paralyzing.
Yet this is how we have woven the fabric of our culture. Body positivity seems to be fighting a battle to stay in existence. Skinny people have taken precedence time and time again. This is not to say that the movement is over, only that it is altering itself based on our current climate. Ozempic’s growing popularity has brought back the stress of being skinny. Plus-size is no longer ‘trending,’ and its presence in mainstream events like Victoria’s Secret fashion show- controversially known for its lack of diversity- is met with backlash. The use of Ozempic is now the baseline for achieving this body type and anyone not following suit is no longer met with the acceptance or grace they once were afforded.
The Unfortunate Drawbacks
It’s heartbreaking to see that the significant efforts put in by influencers to try and create platforms dedicated to the acceptance of bodies not matching the mainstream idea of beauty is falling on deaf ears. Remi Bader, a known body positivity influencer, has turned to Ozempic herself. In this clash of Ozempic versus body positivity, it seems Ozempic is in the lead.
How can the collective audience who have been told to ‘love yourself no matter what’ and ‘being skinny is not the only definition of beauty’ believe that when the messenger herself has given into societal pressures? The advancement towards dismantling fat shaming on social media and in our culture is gradually being erased. Ozempic is ruining people’s chances of true self-love by propping up unnaturally thin public figures and titling them as the definition of good looks. Even when expressing concern for too-thin people like Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo following the ‘Wicked’ release, the drastic changes in their appearance were met with worry and distress. Flip the script and substitute an individual that gained weight and the reactions are ones full of disapproval and criticism.
The Reality of How We Perceive Our Beauty
The beauty standard has been overwhelmingly favorable towards skinny women for decades- this is not a new feat. It’s caused an uptick in disordered behavior related to eating habits and self-esteem issues in younger generations. It’s bred a generation of women trying to reach an unobtainable goal rather than accept themselves and the beauty they possess. Our worship of a certain body type completely discards the genuine beauty that someone with a ‘normal’ body type has. We are not all meant to be as thin as those we see online- and not everyone we see is thin either. The spotlight likes to pick and choose who is deemed good enough to put the attention on. We ignore those with fuller body types, like Barbie Ferreira from ‘Euphoria,’ who, following her recent weight loss, was left with comments under her posts overwhelmingly stating that she is prettier this way. That her after is much better than her before; Her beauty is based on how small or not small she is.
The collective beauty for all of us is based on how small we are.
Sure, the body positivity movement has been growing as the years go on. But so has the war against its growth. Ozempic is only the latest version of the emphasis society is committed to putting on being thin, and it’s coming at the cost of quite an important movement. Body positivity is something relatively new but very much a necessity. While the air of extreme thinness never leaves the room, people have begun to force a new environment of discarding those harmful ideologies and embracing their true beauty.
It’s time we understand that we do not have to follow these negative habits to feel pretty. Being fuller does not equate to less value; Curves do not mean you are any less important. Ozempic is simply a product of an entire society telling women that we are not beautiful unless we are small. And such a mindset no longer has any space in our world. Regardless of your body type, you are beautiful.
Have you noticed the conflict between Ozempic versus body-positivity? Let us know in the comments below!
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