Is This ‘Miracle Drug’ Killing Body Positivity?

Amid the surging popularity of anti-diabetic medication, combined with the revival of fashion trends from the late nineties and early noughties, the body positivity movement seems to have been relegated to the sidelines

- By Ravi Raj

When the Met Gala had confirmed “Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty” as the theme for their 2023 show, it prompted renewed scrutiny of the late designer's controversial remarks, most notably his criticism of curvy models in the fashion show. To the German magazine Focus, Lagerfeld, in 2009, confided that “No one wants to see curvy women.” Lagerfeld’s disdain towards plus-sized models was in sync with the fashion's prevailing attitude. However, the widespread outrage over his fatphobic remarks also signalled a change of wind, triggered by a steady rise in the body positivity movement in the early 2010s. It was a cultural response to the unrealistic beauty standards perpetuated by media and society at large, promoting acceptance of all body types, irrespective of size, shape, stretch marks, or skin tone.

Influencers and activists utilised social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok to create awareness about radical self-acceptance, also highlighting the lack of representation of diverse body types in mainstream media. Instagram has over 12.5 million posts tagged under #BodyPositivity. Safe to say, progress was being made on all fronts. Legacy fashion houses were forced to reconsider their maniacal obsession with extremely thin models; high-street brands expanded their catalogues for mid-sized and plus-size consumers; and people were getting more comfortable in showing their bodies online.