Hollywood’s Ozempic craze has ‘changed the narrative’ of body positivity as celebs are noticeably slimmer than ever

[Pelican Press 0]

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

Hollywood’s Ozempic craze has ‘changed the narrative’ of body positivity as celebs are noticeably slimmer than ever

A body image expert exclusively spoke to Page Six about how trendy weight loss medications like Ozempic have impacted the body positive messaging in Hollywood. Getty Images for Warner Bros.

The Ozempic trend sweeping Hollywood is fueling unrealistic body standards once again.

The popular diabetes-turned-weight-loss drug (and similar Semaglutide variations) have “definitely changed the narrative” when it comes to body positive messaging in the entertainment industry, Rutgers University psychology professor Dr. Charlotte Markey exclusively told Page Six Monday.

“It’s hard not to realize that celebrities like Mindy Kaling, who are very proudly body positive and not especially petite, are slimmed down,” Markey said of the actress, who

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

after being accused of using Ozempic in 2022.

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png">

Dr. Charlotte Markey, author of “The Body Image Book for Girls,” told Page Six that Ozempic has “changed the narrative.” Cambridge University Press

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png">

“It’s hard not to realize that celebrities like Mindy Kaling, who are very proudly body positive and not especially petite, are slimmed down,” Markey said of the actress, pictured here on the red carpet earlier this month. FilmMagic

“We’re getting a lot less messaging about self-acceptance and the fact that people just naturally come in different body sizes and shapes,” Markey added.

The

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

acknowledged that a person’s desire to be thin is nothing new. However, she believes society had made great strides in overcoming unhealthy beauty standards in recent years — until Ozempic came along.

“I think there was real progress [toward body positivity],” she explained. “I think that as people came to understand that restricting what you ate and different fad diets were not going to be effective long-term, people appreciated that self-acceptance was a much more reasonable and healthy option in terms of physical and psychological health.”

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png">

Kaling (seen here in 2023) has shed more than 40 pounds. Getty Images

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png">

The actress (seen here in 2013) attributed her weight loss to healthy eating habits. NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images

While Ozempic has made weight loss more attainable for celebrities, as well as for the masses, Markey isn’t sure how long the craze will endure.

“There’s a lot of attention devoted to weight loss medications and current trends surrounding them,” she said. “I don’t know if that will stick or not, but I think we’re going to hear more and more about undesirable side effects.”

While Markey emphasized the importance of body autonomy, she still has concerns, arguing that weight loss drugs are “essentially inducing disordered eating symptoms.”

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png">

Jessica Simpson (seen here in 2009) has previously struggled with body image issues. Getty Images

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png">

The singer (pictured here in 2023) said she used diet pills for 20 years. GC Images

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png">

Kim Kardashian is rumored to have used weight loss drugs to fit into her 2022 Met Gala dress. Getty Images

“What weight loss drugs offer is sort of overruling what is normal hunger for a lot of people and making weight loss more possible,” she said.

The mental health expert advised consumers of pop culture to be weary of the various measures taken by A-listers to maintain their otherwise unattainable figures.

“We have to appreciate that most celebrities have access to resources that we do not, whether that is medications or personal trainers or personal chefs or whatever,” she said. “They are going to get much more hands-on support in achieving whatever look they want to and it’s also nearly a full-time job for many of them.”

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png">

Demi Moore (seen here in February) revealed that she previously developed an eating disorder after a producer told her to lose weight. Getty Images

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png">

**** Joe (pictured here in 2008) admitted to using Ozempic to shed the pounds. Getty Images

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png">

He showed off his slimmed-down figure at the 2023 BET Awards. Getty Images

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png">

Kathy Bates (seen here in 2005) also turned to a weight loss drug to shed pounds. Getty Images

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png">

The actress looked fit at a December 2024 event. Getty Images

She continued, “Celebrities are paid in part for how they look, so it’s important to keep that perspective and remember there’s something a little bit sad about being caught up in a world that does value your appearance.”

Several stars have historically gone to great lengths to lose weight due to the pressures of the industry.

In 2020, Jessica Simpson admitted to

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

after her record label wanted her to slim down. Earlier this year, Demi Moore also shared that

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

at one point after a producer told her to drop some pounds.

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png">

Rebel Wilson (seen here in 2017) began her weight loss journey with the help of Ozempic. Getty Images

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png">

Wilson (pictured here in 2024) admitted to using Ozempic to lose 80 pounds. Dave Benett/Getty Images

Meanwhile, rumors have swirled that Kim Kardashian — who once said

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

— turned to Ozempic

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

The theories are just speculation, however, as Kardashian has never publicly admitted to using the weight loss drug. She consistently works out with a personal trainer and follows a healthy diet.

Still, media consumers have become ultra-aware that famous faces were suddenly showing up to high-profile events looking more slender than ever with the development of weight loss drugs.

Ozempic and other weight loss drugs quickly became the go-to tactic for celebrities

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

In February 2024, Oprah Winfrey famously

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

after admitting to using a weight loss drug similar to Ozempic to trim her figure.

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png">

Kelly Clarkson (seen here in 2022) also turned to a weight loss drug to trim her figure. Getty Images

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png">

The talk show host lost 60 pounds with the help of the drug. Weiss Eubanks/NBCUniversal via Getty Images

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png">

Oprah Winfrey (seen here in 2010) revealed that she used a weight loss drug to lose weight. FilmMagic

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png">

Winfrey (seen here in 2023) stepped down from her position at WeightWatchers after admitting to using an Ozempic-like drug to lose weight. FilmMagic

Despite

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

, Markey believes body image health is a concept that is here to stay.

“Body positivity is not over. Most people want to feel positive in existing versions of themselves and body positivity was never about seeking perfection. It was always about psychological health,” she argued.

“To say body positivity is over is to say we’ve given up on psychological health, and I don’t think any of us are ready to give that up.”

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

#Hollywoods #Ozempic #craze #changed #narrative #body #positivity #celebs #noticeably #slimmer

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up