On Sunday (Monday AEDT), Lizzo uploaded videos to TikTok about doing a smoothie 'cleanse'.
"Practice safe detoxification, ya'll," she captioned one video showing the various smoothies and snacks she ate on the '10 day smoothie diet', with disclaimers she had guidance from a nutritionist.
In a second video, she ran through her reasons: "So I drank a lot and I ate a lot of food that f***ed up my stomach in Mexico so I decided to do the JJ Smith's 10-day smoothie plan," she said.
Watch: A compilation of the times Lizzo made us feel good. Post continues below video.
She said she'd struggled through the mid-part of the plan, but was "never really hungry".
"I think I just wanted to stress eat and do things that were kind of self-harming," she said.
Showing off her final day's 'results', she said: "I'm going to give you a complete twirl. I feel awesome and I think re-setting your stomach is fantastic… particularly when you’re struggling with gastrointestinal problems like I do, but I think I also look f-king great, so, period."
"These things are not mutually exclusive. To the people who look to me, please do not starve yourselves. I did not starve myself. I fed myself greens and water and fruit and protein and sunlight.
"You don't have to do that to be beautiful or healthy. That was my way. You can do life your way. Remember, despite anything anyone says or does DO WHAT YOU WANT WITH YOUR BODY."
Unsurprisingly, Jameela Jamil summed both sides of the controversy in just two tweets.
No one owes anyone an explanation for the choices they make about their own bodies. But it is crucial we equip people with the knowledge to know how to make these choices in an informed, healthy way.
Misplaced anger.
Online commentators pointed out how Lizzo is facing a wrath that should be directed at a wider industry and society where women's bodies (especially those belonging to women of colour) and the toxic diet culture which informs them are even up for discussion.
Be upset that we still focus on how bodies look over how they feel. Be annoyed that 'tummy teas' and 'detox diets' are constantly advertised across social media platforms - including over and over again, by those with much larger platforms than Lizzo. Be mad that phrases like 'beauty water' and 'resetting our bodies' are part of our lexicon. Be pissed off at the societal myth that having clearer skin and a smaller stomach will make us happier.
And also, be frustrated at the belief that being body positivity is a destination and not a journey.
No one can love every part of themselves every single moment of every single day in a world that is constantly preying on vulnerabilities.
Not even Lizzo, who many heralded as the beacon of the body positivity movement, whether she asked to be or not.
Feature image: Getty/Instagram.
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