Skinny culture’s comeback: how we can respond.

It’s well known that there are endless unrealistic standards placed on all people to look “perfect.” Perfect in this context means various things for different people; but when it comes to standards placed on women, that “perfect” is constantly changing. 

The idea of having a “perfect” body by society’s standards in 2025 is entirely different than it was 15 years ago, which is entirely different from 1980, which is entirely different from 1920. From the 1950s standard of Marilyn Monroe and voluptuous curves, to the 1980’s with the perfectly toned athletic figure, to the 1990s with Kate Moss and heroine-chic slim, to the 2010s welcoming body positivity and a more curvy physique again; the perfect body has always been changing.

For the past decade a widespread wave of body positivity has brought a new view to women’s self image, but in recent months the rise of 1990s-type skinny ideals has brought new waves of insecurity and unrealistic standards to “a new generation” of girls. 

Skinny is making a comeback and that’s not for the better, especially considering that in the Kate Moss era of skinny you could not simply grab your iPhone, go on Tik Tok or Instagram and scroll through hundreds of videos telling you “how to get skinny for summer” or “what I eat in a day to be bikini ready.”  This new wave of skinny is going further than only influencers who spread unrealistic standards: It has hit the high fashion industry as well.

So far, in 2025 only three percent of models at fashion shows have been plus-sized. To put this into perspective, according to The Everygirl, “[out] of the 8,703 looks presented across 198 shows, 24 pieces would fit the average consumer.” 

This new reality of dangerously skinny – using Ozempic to lose weight fast, and normalizing eating disorders – is so harmful to women across the world. Additionally, it is impactful on girls who have been growing up in the era of body positivity. Suddenly everything you watch is filled with “skinny standards” and fatphobia is a welcomed practice once more. 

But why? Why is skinny back now? Is it to be bikini ready, as influencers will claim in their strenuous workout routines? Or is it the rise in influence of weight loss drugs like Ozempic? Whatever the reason may be, the toxicity that this new body standard brings is immense, and the impact on developing brains has the potential to be detrimental. In the past four years, there has been an alarming rise in eating disorders and severe body image issues in both adolescence and young adulthood. Eating disorders are directly correlated to mental illness, which is an issue that is rapidly spreading through the nation and world. There is no doubt that celebrities have always used devices, surgeries, and drugs to alter their appearance and that being skinny has always been the standard for women; however the impact that the current resurgence has on girls is major. Despite everything social media has shoved down the throats of young girls when it comes to body goals and what it means to be “summer ready,” no matter how many celebrities use weight loss drugs to be thin, bodies aren’t a trend. No one needs to fit into one-size fits all or go on the StairMaster for an hour a day to look good for summer. It’s more important now than ever before to challenge these ideas of skinny as a standard and instead support every body type’s place in the world—in high fashion, in social media, and in you; just because it’s the “social standard” does not mean we must make it our standard.  

Article by Maggie McMillen