Ashley Graham Speaks Out on the Rise of GLP-1s and Body Positivity
Ashley Graham, a prominent figure in the body positivity movement, has expressed her concerns about the growing popularity of GLP-1 drugs. In an interview, she shared her candid perspective on how these weight loss medications are impacting societal views on bodies.
“There was a pendulum that swung that was so body acceptance, positivity, everybody be who they want to be. And now it’s going back this whole opposite way,” Graham said. She described the current shift as “really disheartening,” especially after the progress made by the body positivity movement. “It feels like a smack in the face to the women who have felt like they’ve had a voice.”
Graham acknowledged that while GLP-1s may be a trend, she doesn’t believe they will become a permanent fixture in medicine. “It goes with the times — and GLP-1s are a time,” she speculated. “I know that there are and there’s gonna still be women who are considered plus size forever. This drug isn’t going to wipe out a whole statistic of women.”
Despite her reservations, Graham emphasized the importance of continuing to advocate for body diversity. “Why would I stop now and why would I get angry about the work I’ve done?” she asked. “I put my head down and I focus on the women we’ve built the community with.”
The American Beauty Star host noted that she has seen significant progress for plus-size women in recent years. “There’s so many [plus size influencers and creators]…they’re all over the place with their sizes and their proportions and how they look and how they’re relatable,” she said. “And to me, that’s the coolest part about all of this. Seeing that these girls, who were raised on social media at such a young age are now coming in and they have a platform to say to the younger generation, ‘Be yourself, be who you want to be. If you have cellulite, who cares?'”
Graham is committed to her advocacy work, believing it is crucial for women of all shapes, sizes, and backgrounds to feel confident. “It’s incredibly important to continue to advocate for women of all shapes, all sizes, and all backgrounds to have clothes that fit…to have people who don’t have confidence, have confidence in themselves,” she said. “I also don’t think that my community is just curvy women. I think it’s all kinds of women because, really, confidence at the end of the day, it doesn’t discriminate.”
In addition to her advocacy, Graham reflected on her personal journey as a mother. She has had three children in the last decade and admitted that adjusting to her changed body has been challenging. “I’m living in a different body and it’s been hard to get to know her,” she said. “I can’t say that I can look in the mirror and be like, ‘I love you.’ It’s not that for me. It’s that, Wow, I made some children. I was as fit as I could be in 2019 when I got pregnant…I’m still trying to get to that, but I’ve had to get over it in my head that I’ll look like I did in my late 20s, early 30s.”
She added, “She’s gone. Let’s focus on the new girl. That has been like the last four years of my conversation in my head.”
