There appear to be signs that the movement towards body positivity and embracing all body types is fading. There are still models and actors in different bodies, more than there were a few years ago: thinness is not yet supreme again. However, the cultural pressure to consider all body types isn’t as strong, and people are more willing to accept celebrities losing weight publicly again.
Body positivity gained traction on social media. Younger generations saw different bodies on TikTok and in advertising. Evidence overwhelmingly shows that visual exposure to all body shapes and sizes quickly changes our perception of what is typical and also attractive. As long as the cultural norm is thinness, our minds quickly learn and absorb the expectations of how bodies ought to look. When we are exposed to all body types, the desire and aura of thinness diminish quickly.
The culture of body size matters for people with eating disorders. The more one is bombarded with thinness, the more likely an adolescent is to diet. In the developmental search for identity, teenagers look to culture to dictate what is desirable. They are susceptible to trends and are very likely to try out norms dangled in front of their eyes on social media.
As I have written here many times, dieting is the number one risk factor for developing an eating disorder. The movement away from body positivity means an even higher incidence of eating disorders.
Never have teenagers had more influence on current culture. They can quickly create a trend on social media which influences public opinion and cultural expectations. Before media preceded and created the public response to new ideas, but now they are symbiotic.
So the most likely way to ensure body positivity doesn’t fade is to encourage the younger generation to support the attractiveness of all bodies and ignore ideals for thinness. Only time will tell if the strategy can be effective. I certainly hope it is for that generation’s sake.
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