What happened to body positivity?

The episode delves into the recent trend of celebrating thinness in the media and society, which the guests argue is a departure from the earlier body positivity movements. Helen Pidd introduces the topic by highlighting concerns raised by influencers and fashion experts about the return of "skinny" ideals and diets disguised as wellness culture.

Gina Tonic, a writer and speaker on body positivity, shares her experiences of growing up in an environment that vilified fatness and idealized thinness. She reflects on the impact media representations had on her self-image and how the Internet began to provide a counter-narrative through fat fashion blogging, which offered a space for body positivity to grow. However, she laments the current trend where this positive representation seems to be waning, with an increased normalization of extreme diets and the rise of injectable weight-loss drugs like GLP-1.

The conversation also touches on factors surrounding post-COVID health obsessions, where being thin is often equated with being healthy. Jenny Stephens, a deputy editor at The Guardian, shares her personal reflections on how societal beauty standards have affected her life and eating experiences. She discusses the relationship between societal values and disordered eating, emphasizing that the culture of thinness rewards unhealthy behaviors and creates a cycle of shame.

The guests ultimately seek to understand how society can combat this tide of skinny ideals and foster a more accepting environment for all body types, advocating for internal community support as a means to resist external pressures.