‘Ample assets’. ‘Lengthy pins’. ‘Voluptuous curves’.
There’s an arsenal of frankly weird phrases that certain sections of the media employ to describe female bodies.
The language is a throwback that sticks on the tongue when read aloud now but bizarrely, it still exists.
US website Inquisitr ran a story under the headline ‘Demi Lovato Appears To Have A Fuller Figure After working Up A Sweat In LA’ today.
Demi, who has publicly battled an eating disorder and other mental health issues, was having none of it.
She took to Instagram and calmly and articulately went in on the publisher for appearing to shame her over the way she looked.
“Unlike the past, I’m not triggered, I’m not upset that someone wrote a headline about my ‘fuller figure’,” she wrote on her Instagram story.
“I’m angry that people think it’s okay to write headlines about people’s body shapes.
“Especially a woman who has been so open about being in recovery from an eating disorder.
“I’m not upset for myself but for anyone easily influenced by the diet culture.”
Too many people, she continued, base their body ideals on what others tell them is acceptable.
“Articles like these only contribute to that toxic way of thinking.
“If you’re reading this: Don’t listen to negative diet culture talk.
“You are more than a number on a scale and I am more than a headline about my body shape.”
Happily (kind of) there was a kind of resolution to the story – the writer got in touch with Demi on Instagram to apologise.
“This is a lesson learnt,” he told her.
She thanked him for saying sorry, implored her fans to respond to hate with love and promptly carried on with her day.
Take a bow, girl.
