Is it Time to Start Talking About Women's Bodies?

There's a very famous woman who has been making major waves recently...and I can't help but reflect on what a complicated issue this truly is.

A few years ago, we started to finally discuss how women's bodies should not be up for discussion. Commenting on someone's size, weight, etc...that was (rightfully) viewed as problematic.

We needed this cultural reset because quite frankly, commentary about women's bodies absolutely needed to be checked.

But right now, in a world of Ozempic and Skinnytok, a world in which I am currently raising two young, impressionable kids...well, I wonder if maybe it's time to talk about bodies after all.

The celebrity in question is alarmingly thin. Thin to the point that it's hard to look at her and not feel concerned. And concern is truly what seems to be at the root of all the commentary.

It's worth noting too that this particular star is wildly popular among kids and teens. They view her as an icon. As a mother, I think a lot about how her size, which was tiny to begin with and is noticeably shrinking, will affect a whole generation of kids who are already growing up against a backdrop of dangerous messaging around size and weight. I've also heard eating disorder survivors talking about how triggering her rapidly shrinking frame is. All this is worth considering.

But it's also worth considering that women are constantly held to this standard of being role models and that's not quite fair. That ultimately, our concern for this woman, valid as it may be, is wildly parasocial. We don't know her or have insight into her current health, at the end of the day.

So is now the right time to be talking about women's bodies? I really don't know. But I do worry that there's a fundamental mismatch at play right now: We've vowed to stop talking about women's bodies...but does that really work in this current cultural climate?