Our bodies are not trends

by Frankie McCann

It crept up slowly at first. The first time I saw it mentioned was whilst scrolling through my Tiktok For You Page last October. With a swipe of my thumb my phone was suddenly presenting me with a video montage of 90s Runway Models, captioned ‘Heroin Chic is back’.  I remember the sinking sense of dread that followed. I briskly clicked ‘Not Interested’ and swept the hollowed cheeks and tiny waists away.

Since then, I’ve started seeing more of the signs. At Paris Fashion Week, the brand Miu Miu displayed a selection of exposed midriffs in low-rise miniskirts. On social media, Kim and Khloe have been debuting figures vastly changed from their famous Kardashian curves, sparking conversations about whether their rumoured BBLs have been removed. In the upper echelons of Hollywood, the misuse of the diabetic drug Ozempic as a new weight loss fad has led to pharmacists warning that those with prescriptions could soon be affected by shortages. As for media coverage, an article by the New York Post went viral claiming ‘Bye-bye Booty, Heroin chic is back’.

Jameela Jamil’s voice was one of the first to comment on what was unfolding. In an Instagram post berating the New York Posts headline, she said “OUR BODIES ARE NOT TRENDS. SAY IT WITH ME”.

Of course, bodies do change. They develop, they age, they grow. However, it becomes concerning when we force them to change, whether surgically or through drastic lifestyle changes, to fit a certain mould. It is particularly frustrating when said mould is constantly shifting, creating an unquenchable thirst for what is ‘in’. Now we are being told to adapt to a new era in the body trend cycle; that thick thighs, big bottoms, and a curvy physique are no longer the ‘ideal’ body we are supposed to strive for. 

The newest look in question, ‘heroin chic’, is most associated with the likes of Kate Moss and Jamie King in the 90s. Characterised by a thin physique, messy hair, smudged makeup, the problematic label has been criticised for encouraging drug use. Although the models have never admitted to using drugs to alter their frames, there is concern younger audiences will be inspired to try narcotics to imitate this body type. 

Zoe Burnett is a Senior Specialist Support Officer from First Steps Recovery, a charity who offer support to anyone affected by disordered eating habits and their families. She is worried about the implications of the label. “It’s concerning that it’s being called ‘heroin chic’, because why are we idolising a mental illness? You go to neurotics anonymously and it’s described as a disease and a serious mental health condition. Why are we idolising a body off that?” Zoe said.

Although Tiktok has blocked results for the search terms “Heroin chic” and “thinspo”, the app still allows ‘What I Eat in a Day’ videos that promote eating in a calorie deficit. A recent study of weight-related content on Tiktok found that only 1.4% of videos posted under the hashtag ‘nutrition’ had been posted by registered dieticians, implying that much of the content lacked professional knowledge. Such content can therefore spread misinformation and lead to the development of restrictive eating habits amongst younger and more impressionable audiences. Zoe Burnett thinks social media sites need to be doing more to safeguard users from such content.

“The amount of pro-ana (pro-anorexia) content that lurks on social media is horrendous. I have reported so many hashtags, and does anything get done? Social media needs to be doing more to encourage people to get help. It’s not a violation of any of their rules, but it is promoting self-harm. I would love to see disclaimers, reminding people that we are all different and we are all unique. You don’t need to change your body; your body is the least interesting thing about you at the end of the day,” said Zoe.

Zoe added, “I could spend all my life trying to go round diet circles, though 95-98% of fad diets fail. I could spend all my life trying to fit into boxes and chase trends and set myself up to fail, or I could appreciate my body. It’s okay if we don’t love our bodies every single day, but we can appreciate all the cool stuff our bodies can do for us”.

Hannah Ogilvie is a fashion enthusiast who’s Tiktok styling videos have accumulated over 200,000 likes. As a UK women’s size 26-28, Hannah’s content focuses on creating outfits that do not focus on making herself look smaller, but celebrate the body she is in.

Hannah said “As you get bigger, fashion advice becomes all about how to make yourself smaller, you know: wear black; wear vertical stripes; define your waist. It’s all language to make your body look smaller. Over the last year I realised it doesn’t matter how much black I wear or how many of these styling tips I use, I will always be a bigger person. So why not embrace it?”

Hannah said “Through a lot of therapy, I have really rediscovered who I am, and that’s how fashion has come into it. I have more head space to be creative, and that creativity is expressed through clothing. It’s been so liberating. Ultimately that’s what the videos are, liberation.”

Hannah revealed how the pressure to fit a certain beauty standard has affected her body, leading to health issues that still affect her today.

“I was on a meal replacement shake diet from 21-24. I lost so much weight, like half my body weight, and I looked the beauty standard. But my body, my internal organs, crashed. My gallbladder calcified and had to be removed, and that’s purely because of the extreme weight loss I suffered. On the outside I looked ‘great’ but on the inside my body was screaming.”

“I don’t know why we view our bodies as commodities. Maybe it’s because we’re encouraged to with all these different procedures and surgeries. ‘You can change yourself into anything you want’. I mean you do you, but it’s the encouragement of it I detest. It’s being made to feel like it’s so easily available, and that couldn’t be further from the truth,” Hannah said.

Both women share a clear message: our bodies are so much more than a trend. 

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