From Ozempic to the Kardashians: Size zero is back in fashion. Now what?

Being size zero and ultra-thin is a trend that’s in again, apparently. 

Well, that is according to trend reports following fashion week and the big Kardashian slim down.

In case you missed it, sisters Kim and Khloe appear to be shrinking before our eyes. Couple that with the notable absence of size inclusion on runways around the world in the past few months, and conversations have begun to emerge about how the fashion industry has gone back to old ways, with a worrying return to the "size zero trend" as the aspirational and ideal beauty standard.

The rise of Ozempic - the drug used to treat Type 2 diabetes that is widely speculated to be used by celebrities for weight loss, and is now in short supply due to increased demand, is another strong indication that "thin is in".

Read more: 'Everyone is on Ozempic': Why Hollywood's newest weight loss trend is so concerning.

But here’s the thing; it never went away. We have evidence of that pretty much everywhere we look, every damn day. 

And tokenistic body inclusion by consumer brands, media, fashion, beauty and pop-culture industries, in my opinion, is the best we’ve had yet.

You could say curvy has been more "in" than in recent past decades, with Kardashian-inspired, over-amplified derrieres now at a shopping centre and gym near you. But only with curves in the right places. 

Double chins, pouched belly and big thighs, no. 

Small hips and a big bust and butt, yes.

While we probably can’t stop the ‘thin is beautiful’ messaging and seasonal body shape trends served up to our conscious and subconscious each and every day, what we can do is to simply be aware of the language and visual circus around us.

The Kardashians might have been curvier in the past – but they have never been poster girls for healthy body image. Ever. Whatever their size, they’ve either moaned about wanting to lose weight or proudly declared to reporters how much they’ve lost. 

They’ve put their PR behind all sorts of weight-loss gimmicks, diet lollipops, flat tummy tees and laxatives… I can’t keep up.

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A post shared by Kim Kardashian (@kimkardashian)

And yes, there’s definitely been a noticeable shift on social media towards celebrating diverse body types as we all get more brave with putting ourselves out there - where we can speak up and take the power back, and democratise what we think is beautiful simply by allowing ourselves to be seen, as we are now (and not when we’re fitter.)

All that body-positive content, and looking at the world through a 2023 lens - with all that we know about body image, eating disorders, mental illness and pretty much just the fact that we’re each born different - should be enough to recalibrate the historical lean towards women and girls being valued by their thinness and curves in only exactly the right places.

Sadly, I don’t think the removal of the word "fat" from Taylor Swift’s recent music video Anti-Hero, which appeared on a set of scales (before the internet had it removed) is really going to make much difference.

Image: Taylor Swift Productions & Revolution Pictures.

We have so much work to do to unravel the damage that ‘skinny worship’ and diet culture has us carrying the burden of.

In the case of Taylor Swift, in less than five seconds, that music video successfully reinforced to future generations the problematic idea that being ‘FAT’ is bad.

That ‘F’ word is still slung at people as a form of failure, and contempt. The judgement associated with it is still a huge problem within family and friendship groups, in schoolyards and workplaces - simply because someone who is in a bigger body than someone else is seen to be less-than.

In Magda Szubanski’s ABC show launched in November, Magda’s Big National Health Check, the actor embarks on an immersive and personal journey to discover what health looks like in Australia today - and within it, reveals the major health challenges facing us all.

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A post shared by ABC TV + iview (@abctv)

It’s a relief to have someone talking about health who isn’t pretending they have it all figured out, and who isn’t representing a shredded and sculpted one-size-fits-all beauty standard, but instead raising the voices of many - all shapes and sizes of people who, including myself, still struggle.

What also gives me a great deal of optimism is our ability through social media to redefine the trends that are important to us. 

To use social media for good, to spotlight our own aesthetically unique parts of ourselves, and to dim the light of mainstream representation of what is beautiful - potentially reshaping beauty standards for the next generation.

For help and support for eating disorders, contact the Butterfly Foundation’s National Support line and online service on 1800 ED HOPE (1800 33 4673).

Jade Roberts is founder and director of raraPR and The Art of PR School. She is a passionate advocate for body inclusion in the media; dedicated to encouraging meaningful conversation that raises awareness and leads to better support for those impacted by eating disorders.

Feature Image: Instagram @kimkardashian; @khloekardashian; Getty Images; Mamamia

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