What to Do When “Skinny” Is Trendy Again: Staying Grounded in Body Respect and Food Freedom
Let’s be real, body trends are exhausting. One minute it's all about “strong not skinny,” and the next, we’re being bombarded with content that glorifies thinness all over again. Whether it's low-rise jeans on your feed, "what I eat in a day" videos featuring barely-there meals, or celebrities praised for “snapping back,” it can feel like we’re being dragged back into the vortex of diet culture.
If you've done the work to heal your relationship with food and body, seeing the skinny aesthetic trend again might stir up old thought patterns, self-comparison, and pressure to shrink yourself.
So, what can you do to stay grounded?
Here’s how to navigate the resurgence of harmful body ideals without falling back into food restriction, body comparison, or self-criticism.
1. Name What’s Happening: This Is a Cultural Shift and Not a Personal Failure
First, name it for what it is: a trend, not a truth. Just like “heroin chic” in the ‘90s or the “slim thick” body ideals of the 2010s, what’s considered “in” is not a moral compass for health or worth.
These trends are created by systems that profit from insecurity. Industries that sell us the idea that thin = better, more lovable, more disciplined, more valuable. That’s not your truth. That’s manipulation.
Say it with me: “My body is not a trend.”
2. Notice Old Habits Trying to Creep Back In
Be on the lookout for thoughts or behaviors like:
Scrolling “body inspo” for hours
Feeling guilty for hunger or fullness
Re-downloading a calorie counting app “just to check”
Thinking, “Maybe I should cut back on carbs again…”
These are all signs that diet culture residue is resurfacing. It doesn’t mean you’ve failed—it means your nervous system is picking up old cues of how you once tried to feel safe or accepted.
Instead of judging yourself, get curious:
What do I need right now to feel grounded, nourished, and supported?
That’s your cue to redirect back to self-care, not self-control.
3. Return to Your Why
Why did you reject diet culture in the first place?
Maybe it was because:
You were tired of hating your body.
You wanted to actually enjoy food again.
You realized restriction was draining your energy, joy, and mental space.
You wanted a life beyond numbers on a scale.
Write that down. Revisit it often. Your "why" can serve as your compass when the diet culture noise gets loud.
4. Reconnect with Your Body. Not with the Rules
Instead of following what influencers or TikTok trends say you should eat, tune in to your own cues.
Ask yourself:
What does satisfaction feel like today?
How does my body feel when I’m nourished?
What foods make me feel supported, not just physically, but emotionally?
This is intuitive eating in action. It’s about honoring your needs, not obeying trends.
Remember: eating enough, eating consistently, and eating foods that bring pleasure and variety are essential acts of self-care, not indulgence.
5. Create a Body-Respecting Environment
You don’t need to be at war with your body every time you open your phone. To start curating your digital and physical space to support healing and body respect:
Unfollow or mute accounts that make you feel “not enough”
Follow accounts that embrace body diversity, anti-diet living, and joy in eating
Surround yourself with people who talk about things other than weight, appearance, or “clean eating”
You are allowed to opt out of conversations and content that threaten your peace.
6. Say It Out Loud
It’s okay to talk about how hard it is. This stuff is everywhere.
Confide in a friend, your therapist, or your dietitian about how you’re feeling. Externalizing your experience helps reduce shame and increase support.
If you don’t have a supportive circle that gets it, consider joining a weight-inclusive group or seeing an anti-diet RD. You're not meant to do this work alone.
7. Remember That Body Liberation Isn’t Linear
You might have days when you feel confident and free and other days when you spiral into comparison.
That’s okay. Healing isn’t about perfection. It’s about resilience.
Each time you choose nourishment over numbers, rest over punishment, and body kindness over body critique, you’re reclaiming your autonomy.
A Note on Eating Disorders and Body Trends
If you’ve experienced an eating disorder or disordered eating, this kind of body trend revival can be especially triggering. You’re not imagining it, your brain remembers restriction as a way to cope, fit in, or feel “in control.”
Please know that your recovery is not outdated. It’s radical. It’s necessary. And it’s still possible—even when the world tries to sell you something else.
Staying Rooted in Your Truth
The “skinny aesthetic” might be trendy again, but that doesn’t mean you have to shrink yourself literally or metaphorically to belong.
Your body is worthy in every season, every trend cycle, every phase of your life.
You don’t need to change your shape to stay relevant.
You don’t need to change your eating to be “better.”
You don’t need to go backward.
You deserve a relationship with food and body that’s built on respect, trust, and care—not on comparison, control, or criticism.
Ready for Support That Rejects Diet Culture?
At Mind Belly Soul Nutrition, our registered dietitians help you stay grounded in food freedom and body respect even when the world tells you to do the opposite.
Whether you’re navigating eating disorder recovery, struggling with body image, or just want to feel at peace with food again, Mind Belly Soul is here for you with intuitive eating, weight-inclusive support that meets you where you are.
