The recent wave of Ozempic use among Hollywood celebrities has exposed what many have long suspected—the fat acceptance movement was largely insincere. This feeling came into sharp focus at the Golden Globes, where the transformed physiques of numerous attendees told a compelling story.
Exposing the Hypocrisy
About a month ago, an opinion piece described how Ozempic’s rise in popularity has exposed the body positivity movement. Paula Froelich argued that the widespread adoption of Ozempic and other semi glutides has revealed the movement’s hypocrisy. Hollywood’s embrace of these has led to a wave of extreme thinness among celebrities, especially noticeable during awards season. Lizzo’s apparent weight loss and the quiet use of GLP-1 by numerous celebrities suggest that when given an easy way to lose weight, few actually want to remain overweight.
Comedian Tom Segura, who has been candid about his own weight struggles, echoes this sentiment. “The moment that you had an easy route out of being overweight, body positivity went out of the window.” His observation strikes at the heart of what many see as the movement’s fundamental dishonesty.
The Contradictions of Body Positivity
The discussion around weight and health has often been muddied by well-intentioned but misguided attempts at inclusivity. As Segura notes, while it’s important not to be cruel to people struggling with their weight, completely removing judgment about what’s healthy has potentially harmful consequences.
The movement’s contradictions became particularly apparent in cases like Adele’s weight loss journey. When she achieved significant weight loss, social media was flooded with comments insisting she looked “great in both” sizes—a sentiment Segura argues is disingenuous. “She looks great now,” he states plainly, acknowledging the work and dedication required for such a transformation.
This perspective ties into a broader philosophical concept known as the “Inner Citadel,” where people who can’t achieve something often resort to changing the narrative rather than addressing the challenge. Instead of acknowledging health concerns, some advocates began questioning the very definition of health itself, leading to what Segura calls “mental gymnastics.”
Lawsuits, Liability, and the Limits of Acceptance
The movement’s impact has even spilled into legal territory, as evidenced by a recent case where a rapper sued Lyft for discrimination after being denied service, allegedly due to weight concerns. The incident involved a rapper who reportedly weighs 392 pounds and filed a lawsuit against the rideshare company after a driver refused service.
Segura, known for his direct comedic style, questioned the legitimacy of the lawsuit, suggesting the driver’s concerns may have been practical rather than discriminatory. “He was worried about his tires,” Segura remarked, highlighting potential vehicle concerns.
The discussion also touched on broader liability issues. Segura and Chris Williamson contemplated what might happen if an accident occurred due to vehicle stress, noting that 400 pounds concentrated in one space could pose legitimate safety concerns for an older vehicle. The comedian’s take emphasized the need to distinguish between actual discrimination and legitimate safety concerns in service provision.
Adele’s Weight Loss and the Shifting Narrative
Segura also addressed the oddball online reaction to Adele’s weight loss. When images of her transformation surfaced, social media was flooded with comments claiming, “I think she looks great in both.” Segura dismissed this as nonsense.
“She looks great now. She put in the work and she obviously ate a certain way and trained, and now she looks great,” he stated, emphasizing that pretending both states were equally optimal is absurd.
Drawing from his own experiences with weight struggles, Segura criticized the modern trend of avoiding any judgment about health and weight. He stressed that while being cruel to overweight individuals isn’t productive, completely removing health standards is problematic.
Segura also called out the way people have twisted the definition of “healthy.” “People are doing the same mental gymnastics with the term healthy, like ‘what is healthy?’ It’s like, you know what the f*** healthy means,” he said, pointing out that medical professionals have clear metrics for health assessment.
The End of the Fat Acceptance Movement
The emergence of Ozempic has effectively pulled back the curtain on the movement’s contradictions. Those who previously preached body positivity at any size are now quietly pursuing medical interventions for weight loss, revealing that perhaps they too never fully believed in the movement’s more extreme positions.
Ultimately, while treating people with dignity and respect is essential, promoting health misinformation under the guise of acceptance does more harm than good. The fat acceptance movement, while perhaps well-intentioned, ultimately failed to address the real health concerns it sought to dismiss.
