Dear Digital Diary

Dear Digital Diary,

you’ll never guess what’s trending for Summer 2026!

Remember how trendy cow print was in 2019/2020? And how quickly that turned into cheetah print. Now it’s camo. Sardines were once disgusting, and now they’re printed on every graphic tee, tote bag, and towel. Film photography. Matte lipstick. The color sage. Fidget spinners. Labubus. These things rise to the top and then disappear just as fast.

Usually trends are stitched into accessories, clothes, gadgets, and collectibles. But sometimes, they’re projected onto the human body.¹

In the 90’s, they called it ‘heroin chic’. Low waisted pants, whale tails, thin eyebrows, straightened hair, belly button piercings on a flat stomach, and smaller breasts were trendy until the 2010’s. When the Kardashians rose to fame, that trend morphed into a more seductive hourglass figure, with larger breasts, lip filler, arched eyebrows, and BBLs. But just as quickly as it evolved, the body trend transformed again, mirroring the past. This time it’s not heroin chic, but a different injectable: GLP-1.

If you don’t know what GLP-1 is, then you may not have HBO. I kid you not, I cannot get through an episode of Girls without seeing a “I lost 25 pounds with Ro” commercial, and seeing famous athletes promote this new-and-improved weight loss drug. It seems to be everywhere.

At first it was described by celebrities as “clean eating and a really great workout plan with a trainer that kicks [their] ass.” As it turns out, clean eating, a great workout plan, and a personal trainer are also called names like Ozempic, Ro, and Wegovy. Not only were they lying, but were standing in front of a crowd with half of their body weight gone, collarbones jutting out of their XS dresses, and claiming it was a vegan diet and that they’re healthy.

The most damaging part is that young people look up to them.

I say that as a victim. When I was younger, I’d look up to the prettiest, thinnest celebrities and wish and hope and pray that I’d look like them. When I began to grow into my adult body, I starved myself and chased the body trends worn by those on Pinterest, on TikTok, in movies, and on the red carpets.

While doing so, I lost half of my hair. I lost my period. I was thinner on the scale but puffier in the face. I wasn’t scary thin so it wasn’t apparent, but my undereyes were dark and I was so tired all the time. 

It took me three years to accept that I just wasn’t built to be 5’9 and model-skinny. I’m 5’6 and naturally stockier. I can build muscle quickly. I’m curvier, and my bone structure doesn’t change even if I tried. I learned that if I chase anything other than how I’m naturally supposed to be, I will become sick.

Thankfully, I have gotten to a point where I eat to fuel my body and balance my hormones. I work out because I like it, and to become stronger, not smaller. I buy clothes that fit me now, not that I’ll fit into later. And I flip off anyone promoting weight loss drugs because my body is not a Labubu.

1. *This is written from my perspective, which means I am writing from the perspective of a female body and female anatomy. While this post references the female body, it does not directly correlate with any particular gender. Weight, body trends, eating disorders, etc. can affect anyone of any sex or gender. If you or someone you know is affected by an eating disorder, visit https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/get-help/ for more info. ↩︎