Stars Slim Down in the Ozempic Era: A New Body Standard?
Last weekend, Meghan Trainor's appearance at Kris Jenner's birthday party left many fans surprised, noting a significant change in her physique.
The 31-year-old singer of "Made You Look" initially gained popularity for her curvy figure and promotion of body positivity.
In her 2014 hit, "All About That Bass," she famously sang, "I ain't no size two but I can shake it ... I'm bringing booty back."
However, at Jenner's party, Trainor's curves were less pronounced. She showcased a noticeably leaner figure in a black velvet dress and fitted red jacket, with her face appearing more angular.
From Ariana Grande and Amy Schumer to Trainor and Mandy Moore, numerous prominent figures in entertainment are presenting slimmer appearances. Insiders suggest that in the age of Ozempic, achieving a slender physique is not only easier but also increasingly expected.
Monique Lewis, a celebrity publicist and media consultant, stated, "Body shapes used to be unique -- now, it's back to the lollipop bodies and Kardashian faces."
Some female celebrities have openly discussed their use of Ozempic and similar GLP-1 medications, with this transparency being considered a new form of body positivity.
"No, I don't look like I did 10 years ago. I've been on a journey to be the healthiest, strongest version of myself for my kids and for me," Trainor shared in an Instagram post in March, mentioning her use of weight-loss medication post-pregnancy. "Shoutout to Mounjaro!"
But does this new emphasis on thinness represent genuine progress, or is it merely a medically driven variation of Hollywood's traditional beauty ideals?
Lewis views it as a regression from the body inclusivity that emerged in the previous decade, highlighted by Ashley Graham's historic cover on SI Swim as the first plus-size model and Lizzo's initial rise to fame.
Currently, Lizzo has experimented with GLP-1s and lost weight, while several previously mid-sized celebrities have become significantly smaller.
"Every time I see a casting now, they're looking for someone who is between a size 4 and 8 -- no larger than 10," Lewis noted. "We worked so hard to get away from that, and we're right back where we were."
Days after Trainor's appearance with the Kardashians, Amy Schumer, 44, revealed a significant weight loss, deleting her older Instagram photos and posting only four recent images of herself in a red mini dress, highlighting her legs.
"I'm feeling good and happy. Deleted my old pics for no reason!" Schumer announced in the post, which received varied reactions.
The comedian, known for her openness about her appearance, famously insisted on no retouching for her 2018 film "I Feel Pretty."
More recently, she has spoken about her experiences with Cushing syndrome and perimenopause, both of which can contribute to weight gain, as well as her use of Mounjaro.
Schumer clarified that her decision to remove older photos was not due to dissatisfaction with her previous appearance but rather related to her overall health and well-being.
"I'm proud of how I've looked always," she stated. "I have been working to be pain free and I finally am. My endometriosis is better. My back is healing. I no longer have Cushing syndrome so my face went back to normal."
Precision tracking for your journey
Join thousands using Shotlee to accurately track GLP-1 medications and side effects.
📱 Get the Shotlee App
Track your GLP-1 medications, peptides, and health metrics on the go with our mobile app!
Amanda Sanders, an image consultant and celebrity stylist, observed that celebrities are discussing their bodies and weight loss in a new and seemingly healthier manner.
"There's an admittance to it -- where there wasn't before, which I find refreshing. At least people aren't saying, 'oh it's all diet and exercise,'" she commented.
However, in recent years, she has become noticeably thinner, attributing the change to reduced eating and increased exercise, rather than medication.
Similarly, Ariana Grande's changed appearance between 2018 and her recent role in "Wicked" has been widely discussed, with many comparing her fuller figure during her engagement to Pete Davidson to her current look.
The actress addressed her appearance during the filming of the musical in April 2023.
"The body that you've been comparing my current body to was the unhealthiest version of my body," she explained, noting that she was on "a lot of antidepressants and drinking on them and eating poorly."
"[I was] at the lowest point of my life when I looked the way you consider my healthy, but that in fact wasn't my healthy."
Sanders points out that many of the celebrities who have slimmed down were never significantly overweight to begin with.
"None of these people were at a weight that wasn't unhealthy -- they might have been 8's, 10's, 12's but that's the standard in most America, not Hollywood," she clarified.
Beyond weight, the conversation has expanded to include plastic surgery, with celebrities gaining recognition for their openness about cosmetic procedures. Health tracking apps like Shotlee can help monitor changes in body composition when considering such procedures.
Kylie Jenner, once secretive about cosmetic enhancements, particularly lip fillers, openly discussed her breast augmentation earlier this year in response to a fan question on TikTok. "445 cc, moderate profile, half under the muscle!!! Silicone!!! [Doctor] Garth Fisher!!! Hope this helps lol," she wrote.
Jennifer Lawrence, in a recent New Yorker article, mentioned having had Botox, avoiding fillers, and planning a breast augmentation before filming a nude scene. "Everything bounced back, pretty much, after the first [kid]," the mother-of-two said. "Second [kid], nothing bounced back."
The rapid weight loss associated with medications is also leading to more cosmetic procedures to address sagging skin.
Dr. Jennifer Levine, a New York City-based celebrity surgeon, noted that "All those people who lost weight on the weight loss drugs are now sagging, and they're coming for treatments that tighten the skin." She utilizes a three-in-one laser treatment to target "Ozempic face" and sagging skin in other areas.
Ultimately, she views the increased use of GLP-1s and the growing openness surrounding it as a positive development.
"It's very challenging when people have never been thin, or struggled to be thin, now feel good and healthy being thin. I don't think that just like you shouldn't be shamed for being heavier, you don't need to be shamed for being thin either. It's the opposite of body positivity -- we should let people make choices about their bodies," Levine stated.
However, Lewis questions the extent to which these choices are truly autonomous for women in the entertainment industry.
"There is a lot of peer pressure in Hollywood," she said. "We're going back to the older dates of thinner is better - if they [stars] don't have the basis and structure to say, 'I don't care I'm happy in my size."
