Ashley Graham calls weight loss drugs a ‘smack in the face’ to body positivity movement

Ashley Graham blasted the effects of the GLP-1 trend when it comes to the body positivity movement.

The model covers Marie Claire’s new Motherhood issue and called the popularity of weight loss drugs like Ozempic and Mounjaro, as well as the return of thinner runway models, “really disheartening.”

“There was a pendulum that swung that was so body acceptance, positivity, everybody be who they want to be,” she told the magazine. “And now it’s going back this whole opposite way that feels like a smack in the face to the women who have felt like they’ve had a voice.”

But she noted that GLP-1s won’t erase plus-size women’s existence.

“It goes with the times—and GLP-1s are a time…I know that there are and there’s gonna still be women who are considered plus size forever,” she said. “This drug isn’t going to wipe out a whole statistic of women.”

The mother of three, 38, is also proud of how the body positivity movement has evolved.

“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 pointed out. “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?’”

The return of super slim physiques on the red carpet, especially during this year’s awards season, has caused plenty of conversation.

Multiple sources told Page Six in March that some already-thin stars are taking so-called microdoses, or “baby” doses of Ozempic or other weight-loss “jabs” that are smaller quantities than the FDA-approved therapeutic dosage.

One A-list stylist told Page Six that those who dress the stars are in an awkward position, and they fear some celebs are blind to how thin they are.

“You can’t tell these actresses they’re too skinny,” the stylist said. “They’ll just say, but [another actress] is smaller than I am!”

Graham isn’t the only celeb questioning the popularity of GLP-1s, which are used to treat Type 2 diabetes, but are widely prescribed for weight loss.

Podcaster Brianna Chickenfry shared in a TikTok video in March, “Every single bitch I know is on Ozempic. People that do not need Ozempic. It’s like if I did Ozempic. Could I lose a couple? Surely. Do I need Ozempic? No!”

The influencer had a harsh warning for those who use the drug without good reason: “You’re gonna die. You’re all gonna die.”