The Diet Culture

In recent years, fashion trends have shifted rapidly. Towards the end of 2025, a new trend began to spread with full force: extreme thinness. The extremely visible collar bones, low-rise silhouettes and sharp cheekbones have become everyone's desire. But this diet culture has more depth to it than people imagine. 

Thinness has always been cyclical in the fashion industry. In the 1990s, the dominant aesthetic was the “heroin chic”, which was led by models such as Kate Moss.. The skeletal bodies, smudged makeup and hollow faces defined beauty; symbols such as cigarettes complemented the look with their detached, careless, punk vibe. It was chic to be rebellious and nonchalant. 

In contrast, the 2010s established a different trend era: The Kardashian Aesthetic era. Unlike heroin chic, this trend did not carry a specific,universally recognized name, yet it still marked a whole generation. The desire was to have a sculpted body with accentuated hips and a thin waistline. Getting a BBL was the dream, with Kim Kardashian as the muse.  

Now we enter the Diet Culture trend, which seems strongly connected with heroin chic. Extreme thinness is not only promoted through models and photoshoots, but also through celebrities and their Instagram pages. A great example of this shift in fashion is Kylie Jenner. Previously seen as a strong figure of the Kardashian trend - receiving the nickname “King Kylie” - she now appears on social media with a reformed body. Public discussion has highlighted that her decision to reverse or reduce previous cosmetic procedures comes from this new slim-fit trend. 

Rather than a symbol of transition, Bella Hadid represents the trend as a whole. Being one of the most well-paid models, Bella embodies the  recently established ideal body: small proportions, thin ribcage and long slim legs. Other figures that symbolize this culture are Lily-Rose Depp,  Vittoria Ceretti, Elsa Hosk, Frida Asen, and the Brazilians Elisa Zarzur and Lívia Nunes. Ariana Grande has also been linked to this shift due to her worrying level of thinness. Many fans have pointed out that the actress appears noticeably underweight, reflecting possible issues such as eating disorders. 

Fashion, however, is not only a form of art; it can dictate a lifestyle. As weight loss becomes romanticized, many individuals are doing everything in their power to join the trend. It has encouraged behaviours often perceived as good: healthy eating is now viral, with the spread of oatmeal bowls, low-carb diets, sugar-free sweets… Various forms of exercise have also gained popularity, such as hot yoga, pilates, LPF, and spinning. But is this the only impact this trend has had on people's lives?  

Losing weight soon transitioned from a popular goal to an obsession and, with this drastic change, people started to take drastic measures. Eating disorders, such as anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder and avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder have increased in recent years - especially in the adolescent population due to social media. A recent study conducted by Griffiths et al (2024) investigated if TikTok's algorithm increases exposure to eating-disorder-related content. According to Griffiths, users with ED receive 146% more appearance-oriented videos, 335% more dieting videos, 142% more exercise videos and over 4000% more toxic eating-disorder content compared to other users - which can have strong negative impacts on individuals with eating disorders..   

Intense measures were also adopted by many teenagers: liquid diets, long-duration fasting, elimination of 100% of carbohydrates on meals, the use of medicine to diminish hunger or the substitution of food with other substances. 

Ozempic and Mounjaro are now popular names in EABH - there's hardly a girl from 9th grade and above that has never heard of them. Although the treatments became popular within the students, they might represent a threat to health. When accompanied by medical expertise, the treatments represent no threat; however, undergoing it without medical supervision can be extremely dangerous. 

ADHD stimulants, cigarettes, vapes, and other nicotine products are also being used to suppress hunger, sacrificing people's health over a trend. Simultaneously, fashion has increasingly incorporated elements associated with drugs, such as psychedelic culture and surrealism. A great example is Chanel’s Haute Couture Spring Summer 2026 show, where gigantic mushrooms and vibrant colors dominated the runway.  

But why is the industry pushing the diet culture down people's throats? Fashion has always been about desire. With the constant growth of fast fashion, clothes, and accessories became much more attainable and exclusivity could no longer rely on tangible items; instead, it relied on unattainable beauty patterns. After the Kardashian era, in which bodies were altered to fit large proportions and curves, the industry needed to influence a shift. Extreme thinness was decided as the opposite of the previous trend and, therefore, a hard pattern to be achieved. Being slim in 2026 is the foot-binding of ancient China - in which only a few could afford to mold themselves into beauty standards. The remaining question is, should fashion be blamed for shaping desire or should we take responsibility for what we choose to pursue? 

Sources: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1740144524001293?utm_source=chatgpt.com