Has Ozempic slowed the body inclusivity movement in the fashion industry?

Anna Martin

Look at any buzz around award season and you’ll find the word Ozempic somewhere

Is such and such taking this miracle drug? X actress has Ozempic face, Y opens up about using wonder weight loss drug.

It seems like people were finally winning the body inclusivity battle but now we’re slowly slipping back into old habits.

In 2020, Ashley Graham became Vogue’s first plus-size cover model, and a few months later, the pop star and body positivity advocate Lizzo graced the cover.

Brands were taking notice and increasing their size ranges, everything appeared to be on track but then 2023 rolled around.

Oprah Winfrey has admitted to taking Ozempic Credit: Getty

From the beginning of Fashion Week in February, plus-sized models were noticeably absent from the runway and brands opted to scale back their plus-sized ranges.

Edward Enninful, the editor of British Vogue, even commented on the return to slender catwalk models last year, writing that it felt like he had been in a time machine, stepping back to when only one body type was acceptable.

“Show after show dominated by one body type, so many limited versions of womanhood, it felt like we were slipping back,” he penned.

Not to say that every model is taking Ozempic but it shows that designers are back to thinking that this body type sells and it’s getting into people’s heads.

With over 1.2 billion searches on TikTok alone, it’s clear that people have Ozempic on their minds.

The drug is a monthly injection of semaglutide. It is meant for the treatment of diabetes and obesity-related health issues, but with the recent buzz it’s difficult for people to access the medication they were prescribed.

Sharon Osbourne has also spoken about using Ozempic Credit: Getty

It’s no longer just a treatment for potentially serious medical conditions but a trend; headlines are laced with the word ‘Ozempic’, celebs are admitting they’ve turned to it for quick results so more and more people are searching it online.

On top of this, we’re seeing a comeback of Y2K fashion, a time that was dominated by heroin chic and actresses being called fat in romcoms, despite them still fitting into straight-sized clothes.

Just look at ‘The Devil Wears Prada’ where Anne Hathaway’s character, Andy, has an amazing body but each character is always trying to point out that Andy isn’t slim enough like Nigel who shames her for being a size six.

So will Ozempic have a knock-on effect that completely derails body positivity and inclusivity? We simply don’t know.

If someone opts to take the medication was their body positivity just at surface level? Does it unlock a further discussion about unconscious bias when it comes to plus-sized men and women?

Or it could take a completely different route and with these smaller bodies becoming the norm in media, will they be devalued?

Time will tell, but if one thing has been proven time and time again it’s that whatever our bodies look like, we may always feel like we need to do more.