The ideology of the perfect female body or the desired female body keeps changing like a trend. There are days when people adore and appreciate curvy bodies and there are days when people promote lean and skinny boy types. As for the current trend, leaner, thinner bodies with little to no buttocks visible is stealing the thunder on the internet. It seems like this body type is dominating social media and promoting the resurrection of these body types, popularly called as Ballet Body.
What is ballet body?
The annual report of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons says that this new body trend is called as the ballet body.
The rising popularity of GLP-1 drugs (weight loss drugs) like Ozempic and Wegovy, seems to be the reason behind people choosing to be thin again and making it a trend. Some experts and culture observers are concerned about ballet body trending. This is because treatments like weight-loss drugs and cosmetic surgery are often only available to people who have the money and access to them.
Understanding more about this phenomenon
The president of American Society of Plastic Surgeons, Steven Williams, in an interview with the Washington Post said that he witnessed the last decade being all about accepting all body types and embracing curvy body types. However, this new trend is has left women wanting to be slimmer. "Women displayed an increased preference for a smaller size of surgically sculpted breasts and buttocks," he said.
Phoebe Apeagyei, a senior fashion technology lecturer at Manchester Metropolitan University, has studied body image trends. She explained to the Washington Post that the "ballet body" combines the desire for thinness with a focus on fitness, which became popular after the pandemic. It's a more toned version of the very slim body type that British model Kate Moss made famous about 30 years ago.
What did other experts say about ballet body?
Kéra Nyemb-Diop, a nutrition scientist who focuses on promoting a healthy body image, has noticed a change in her work with clients. While talking to the Washington Post, she said, "We used to see more acceptance and body positivity, but with the return of the thin body trend, it feels like we're moving backward."
Body shape trends, like fashion and hairstyles, always change. And when these trends become popular, the wealthy and stylish often try to find something new. “People don’t want to look like their mom or their grandma,” Williams from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) said.
Rokeshia Renné Ashley, a professor at Florida International University who studies body image, said that it can be empowering and enjoyable to have the freedom to choose how you want your body to look. She explained that that it's nearly impossible for women to avoid the constant pressure to look a certain way, whether it's from ads, social media, or comments from others. Criticizing women for following trends is not helpful. She believes that body positivity and the freedom to choose how to look can both be celebrated at the same time.
How is ballet body related to eating disorder?
While achieving a certain body type can be exciting, netizens raised concerns over the methods women might use to achieve it. Social media can be pretty impactful on one's mind. Constantly viewing a certain body type and wishing to achieve it can trigger eating disorders like eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia.
Young people, especially teenagers spend most of their time on social media and get influenced by all the trends. In an already sedentary lifestyle, trying to adapt to a trend like this to 'fit in' the society standards can deeply affect an individual's physical and mental health.