Is the era of body positivity over?

As a teenager, I remember being astonished by comments about Natalie's allegedly huge thighs and feeling baffled by Bridget's obsession with losing weight. There was nothing wrong with either of these women; there still isn't, but society loves to make us think our value equates to the size of our hips and whether or not we fit into a certain pair of jeans.

I know the comments are outdated and stem from a time when the Special K diet was a good thing, a time when magazines slated women for gaining, dare I say it, two pounds. It was the era of heroin chic, of Kate Moss claiming that nothing tastes as good as skinny feels, and being thin was the only way to be. Any other body type was mocked, ridiculed, and never celebrated.

However, many women helped us move past the heroin chic days in the 2000s, and we happily moved into the body positive era. For the first time in years, I didn't feel the need to cut the labels off my clothes or deny myself meals with the hope of finally being a size that was 'acceptable'.

Fast forward to the mid 2010s, and my Instagram feed was now full of people with all kinds of bodies, and most importantly, all kinds of bodies were not only being accepted, but also celebrated.

However, it feels like we're slipping away from the era of embracing our bodies for what they are, and are diving headfirst into the darker era of Special K diets and seeking worth from nothing but the labels on our clothes.

Celebrity stylist Ariel Tunnel echoed these feelings in an interview with NBC:

“I think we’re all aware that we are taking a step backwards. There was a bigger push for inclusivity and body acceptance of all shapes and sizes that feels like it is trending backwards.”

“If no one fights and no one continues to speak up, I think thin will always be in, and thin will always win because that is unfortunately ingrained in our society, and unless we are always kind of bucking that norm, it’s not going to be broken.”

In the last few days of 2025, my TikTok has been full of transformation videos, of women celebrating their 2025 weight loss, and of celebrities who look like a shadow of their former selves due to the glamourisation of Ozempic in Hollywood, and it's concerning.

I fear we're turning our backs on the body positive era that so many activists led us toward, and we're now returning to an era where being skinny is the only acceptable way to be.

There's no shame in losing weight, or in using medication to lose weight if your doctor recommends it, but there is shame in erasing years of body positivity. There is no harm in changing your body, whether that's losing or gaining weight, if it's for the sake of both your physical and mental health. But there's so much harm in failing to celebrate more than one body type.

We are all aware of those misusing weight loss drugs, but that shouldn't take away from the many people they have helped. The concern here is the return of thinspiration culture, and how society and Hollywood are doing very little to stop it from returning, but are almost welcoming it back with open arms.

@jameelajamil

♬ original sound - Jameela Jamil

Jeemla Jamil is one of the few celebrities continuing to keep the body positive message alive. She has tirelessly called out the glamourisation of the aesthetic of emaciation.

“It is not body shaming to comment on the fact that there is a rapid rise of the aesthetic of emaciation amongst women in Hollywood," the activist said in a TikTok video in November.

We can be concerned about the rise in trends like SkinnyTok and the glamourisation of weight loss drugs, without attacking individuals for making personal choices about their own bodies. In 2026, I hope we refocus our efforts to ensure all people feel good in their own skin. I hope we put more effort into not only spreading body-positive messages, but embracing them ourselves, too.

You should be encouraged to love the body you have, but one scroll through social media right now and you'll be met with ways to change it, diet tips you didn't know you needed, and transformation videos of celebrities you'll barely recognise today.

Many of us will prepare for the onslaught of 'new year, new me' messages that roll around every January, but the only resolution we will be focusing on is to relearn how to love our bodies, just as they are, because society has failed to keep the body positive message alive, and it's up to us to use our voices to revive it.

I want to go into 2026 and let go of thoughts about dropping dress sizes so people will accept me. I want to let go of unhealthy eating habits like skipping lunch. I want to stop feeling guilty for eating something unhealthy and punishing myself afterwards. I want to stop focusing on the number on the scales or the size of my clothes. I want to simply like the body I have and ensure it is a healthy one. The body positive era helped erase these damaging thoughts and habits, but the glamourisation of one body type is causing unjust damage to our society, and that is what we need to undo in 2026.

We need to at least try and let go of the damaging messages that have haunted us since the days of the Special K diet era that resurfaced in 2025, and leave them behind once the clock strikes midnight tonight.

If you have been affected by any of the details in this story you can contact Bodywhys on 01-2107906 or email alex@bodywhys.ie.