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A model presents a creation by Prabal Gurung at New York Fashion Week. Extremely slim bodies are once again dominating many catwalks - parallel to the boom in weight-loss injections. (Archive)
Mary Altaffer/AP/dpa
The pressure to achieve the perfect body seems to be diminishing of late. Body positivity and more diversity have brought different body shapes into the public eye. With the boom in weight loss injections, an old ideal is now returning.
Just a few years ago, the ideal of beauty seemed to be shifting. Body positivity, more diversity in the fashion industry and curvy models made different body shapes more visible. Suddenly, weight was no longer just explained by discipline, but also by genetics, hormones or mental health.
With the boom in GLP-1 drugs such as Wegovy, Mounjaro or Ozempic - the so-called weight loss injections - this debate is shifting. The extremely slim body is back: on red carpets, in social media, in the fashion and beauty world. From Oprah Winfrey to Serena Williams and Elon Musk , numerous celebrities are talking openly about their use of GLP-1.
"A doctor in the Guardian calls it the "GLP-1 look" : rapid weight loss, sunken cheeks, less body volume. The trend is combined with other beauty procedures such as buccal fat removal - a surgical procedure in which fat pads are removed from the cheeks. This creates a new aesthetic of very narrow faces with prominent bone structures.
The return of the thin ideal is now coming up against a movement that has spent years trying to free bodies from moral judgment. Body positivity wanted to say: a body does not have to be slim to be respected. This message is now coming under pressure again.
At the same time, GLP-1 preparations are seen by many experts as a medical breakthrough. Studies show significant weight loss in people with obesity or diabetes, and many sufferers report greatly improved quality of life.
"Wegovy", "Ozempic" and "Mounjaro" are injections to combat obesity and treat type 2 diabetes. (archive image)
Jens Kalaene/dpa
The WHO now describes obesity as a chronic disease that requires comprehensive treatment - not just "more willpower". For many sufferers, this is an enormous relief because losing weight is no longer permanently associated with hunger and self-control.
However, the social debate is now increasingly revolving around the lifestyle and aesthetic use of the products. More and more people do not want to be treated medically, but rather "simply lose a few kilos" in order to get closer to a certain body ideal.
As a result, an ideal of beauty that has long been considered outdated is once again coming to the fore: extreme thinness. Yet being thin as a social ideal is actually relatively new in historical terms. For centuries, female bodies with more fat reserves were considered attractive, healthy and wealthy in many cultures.
It was only in the 20th century that extreme thinness increasingly became the dominant female ideal through fashion, Hollywood and pop culture - from Twiggy to the "heroin chic" of the 1990s.
However, the desire to "optimize" one's own body has been with societies for a long time and is not just isolated to weight. People have been changing their appearance for decades with diets, fitness programs and cosmetic procedures. Women in particular are familiar with these mechanisms: beauty standards have historically hit them much harder than men.
Researchers have been pointing out for years that beauty standards put women under much greater social pressure. A market worth billions has developed around these insecurities. The beauty, fitness and wellness industry thrives on constantly selling people new opportunities for self-optimization.
The female body should look as young, slim, smooth, fit and "natural" as possible. Wrinkles, cellulite or gray hair are quickly seen as signs of aging or a lack of self-care. Botox, hyaluronic acid, hair dyes and aesthetic procedures have therefore long since become part of everyday life for many people.
However, with every new procedure, every new treatment and every new beauty trend, social expectations also shift. What used to be considered normal suddenly appears unkempt, old or "not optimized".
This is where experts see the explosive nature of GLP-1. Never before has it been possible to change weight so visibly in a comparatively short space of time. If more and more people lose a lot of weight within a few months, this automatically changes the perception of what is considered "normal".
Not only people who already suffer from beauty standards are affected. People with so-called "standard bodies" are also increasingly subject to comparative dynamics. What becomes technically feasible often quickly develops into a new social expectation.
Ironically, however, beauty ideals work precisely because they are never completely attainable. If extreme thinness becomes more suitable for the masses through medication, the ideal could shift again in the long term.
The concern of many experts is therefore not directed at the drugs or their users, but at the structures that trigger the desire to be thin in the first place. Where extreme thinness becomes more visible again, insecurity and constant body comparison often increase.
A new study by Arizona State University shows that the debate is no longer "just" about weight loss. The researchers describe GLP-1 drugs as a "social technology that changes body images, identities and social norms" and warn: "GLP-1 drugs have extremely complex social and psychological effects."
In the international study, the study authors unsurprisingly observed that the images and ideals of beauty that a society is confronted with on a daily basis have a strong influence on the self-perception of many people. As a result, some accept high costs or severe side effects in order to conform to this ideal.
The contradictory nature of this development is particularly evident in the use of GLP-1 medication itself. While many users describe less constant thoughts about food or a more relaxed relationship with their own body for the first time, there is also growing concern about new social pressure to be slim.
The scientists are particularly critical of the increasing marketing of GLP-1 as a lifestyle product for purely cosmetic purposes. Beauty companies would specifically address insecurities around weight and attractiveness.
The researchers observe that weight stigmatization could paradoxically increase and the drugs could reinforce eating disorders. Some patients had developed an eating disorder for the first time while taking the medication.
In addition, some people adjust dosages contrary to medical recommendations or use the medication without medical supervision. Experts see additional risks in this.
It is particularly tricky that the medication suppresses hunger - the very body signal that those affected should learn to consciously perceive again in therapy.
This ambivalence surrounding GLP-1 makes the debate complex. For some, the medication means more freedom in dealing with food and one's own body, for others it increases the pressure to conform to an ever narrower ideal.
The extent to which the new slimming boom is already changing beauty ideals can now even be seen on the face. The term "Ozempic Face" is used to describe sunken facial features, narrower cheeks and looser-looking skin after significant weight loss.
Doctors emphasize that it is not the drug itself that changes the face, but the rapid loss of fatty tissue. Nevertheless, the effect is visible.
A new market is therefore already emerging around GLP-1, which according to Vogue is solely focused on the "Ozempic Era": Beauty treatments, nutritional supplements, skincare products and aesthetic procedures are intended to compensate for the unwanted changes caused by weight loss.
The optimization spiral continues apace.
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