In the aftermath of the successful promotion of ‘Wicked 2’ being released for Christmas, there is something getting more attention than the film itself. The shrinking bodies of the two main actresses, Ariana and Cynthia, are the talk of social media. While many have pointed out that the film industry is creating a dangerous diet culture for women, others discuss signs of a co-dependent friendship between the actors, and the worrying cause of their weight loss.
While awareness around image pressure is something we applaud, there’s another side to this story – one that rarely makes headlines: all conversations ultimately obsess over women’s bodies, promoting unhealthy image obsession – the very issue it attempts to tackle.
When body image concerns become another form of body surveillance
The latest obsession around Cynthia and Ariana seems to be lifted straight out of a 2000s teenage magazine promoting unhealthy body obsession. But this time, in addition to unashamed mockery, it’s also disguised as health concerns, with a large number of people calling out the pressures fame creates to look a certain way. Our relationship with media and image isn’t harmless: in the UK, 40% of teenagers say images on social media make them worry about their body image, and about 22% of adults report the same effect. When celebrity bodies become a constant topic of analysis, whether well-intentioned or not, it feeds into a culture where worth is tied to fitting an acceptable size and image rather than well-being. Instead of encouraging health-centred conversations, which prioritise the actors’ interview answers and first-hand feedback on the filming experience, public interest makes assumptions on appearance; this creates a dangerous cycle that rewards health decline in impressionable users, including those with existing eating disorders.
When obsession with appearance becomes dangerous
Without public understanding of how eating disorders can develop, when people claim to be concerned and push an awareness agenda, the focus still remains pointed at women’s bodies being debated. The volume of commentary around ‘before and after’ comparisons and snippets of conversation that don’t tell the full story creates the exact dynamic the conversation claims to condemn. Women’s bodies remain public property; only the tone changes.
Disordered eating is a mental health condition that can be negatively impacted when exposed to social, behavioural and psychological pressures. Depending on the condition, extreme weight loss could be a factor and a sign that someone’s food compulsions are negatively impacting their life.
Social channels, tabloids and public comments provide a continuous loop of comparison and a reminder that body image should be consistently considered. Because conversations around bodies today are so visible and repeated so often, they stop being neutral. The more a person is exposed to judgement, comparison, or analysis triggered by someone unqualified, the more likely they – and anyone reading this narrative – are to internalise those ideals.
How to discuss eating disorder warning signs responsibly
It is possible to care about public health, image pressure, and the well-being of public figures without reducing people to before-and-after frames. Real awareness doesn’t sensationalise weight; it’s important to understand how people are coping emotionally. What pressures exist in the industries they work in? Has something happened in their life that can explain the weight loss? Until we stop being more fascinated by appearance than by lived human experience, conversations will live off assumptions, expectations and others’ desire, rather than the real issue.
Eating disorders are complex psychological and medical illnesses – not lifestyle choices – and commentary must reflect that. That means moving conversations away from speculation and towards compassion and understanding.
A healthier direction forward
If there’s anything to learn from moments like this, it’s that how we talk about bodies truly matters. The words we choose and the tone we use can either add pressure or help ease it. Public conversations have the power to support people or to harm them by planting the seed that people notice them and are aware of their bodies. At The Haynes Clinic, we’ve seen how conversations surrounding obsessive behviour and self-image can either support recovery or hinder it. If public discussion is genuinely about care, it needs to move away from analysing how someone looks and towards asking what support systems, pressures, or misunderstandings may exist around eating disorders. These aren’t entertainment stories; they’re health realities that affect real people and real families.
If this article has raised concerns about how someone close to you is managing their weight or their relationship with food, you have support available. Reach out to us today to discuss the next steps.