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Topics: Celebrity, Health, Weight loss, News
Danni King
Ashley Graham has made a bold claim about the rising use of weight loss drugs.
The number of people using GLP-1 medications has increased dramatically in recent years, with drugs like Ozempic and Mounjaro becoming more easily accessible.
A rising number of celebrities have taken to using the weight loss drugs, such as Oprah Winfrey, Meghan Trainor and Rebel Wilson.
But Graham, 38, has spoken out against the trend, saying it is a "smack in the face" in the wake of the body positivity movement - which she is a huge advocate of.
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“There was a pendulum that swung that was so body acceptance, positivity, everybody be who they want to be.
"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,” the model said.
Speaking in an interview with Marie Claire, the mum-of-three went to say that she doesn't think the increasing popularity of GLP-1s is a reversal of the body positivity movement, noting that there is "still so many" plus-size creators and influencers.
Regarding the fashion industry, she made a bold claim about the future and how beauty standards continue to change.
“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.
“This drug isn't going to wipe out a whole statistic of women,” she stated.
Graham has been praised for her work advocating for women of all sizes over the years, having even released a book in 2017 highlighting her experiences as a model and body positivity advocate.
The 38-year-old - who has modelled for the likes of Dolce & Gabanna and Tommy Hilfiger - has previously spoken out about using her body to the spark conversations about different subjects, adding that is has "changed many peoples' lives".
"I definitely think that my body has changed many peoples' lives. I've used my body as a tool to talk about taboo subjects, such as cellulite or being insecure about lower belly fat—and also [how to] talk life into your body and have an affirmation kind of conversation with yourself," she told Vogue in 2017.
Graham's words come after a RAND report revealed that since 2020, the number of prescriptions for GLP-1s has more than tripled.
Weight loss medications work by suppressing appetite by mimicking a hormone that helps to regulate blood sugar levels and appetite. The drugs are usually prescribed to people with type 2 diabetes to help to manage blood sugar levels.
By slowing stomach emptying and reducing appetite, the medications help to enable weight loss.