Ashley Graham criticized the rise of GLP-1 weight-loss drugs, calling it a “smack in the face” after the body positivity movement<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
Graham also compared the growing popularity of the drugs to a “pendulum” swinging back, but said she does not consider it a complete reversal of progress<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
\u201cThis drug isn’t going to wipe out a whole statistic of women,\u201d she said of GLP-1s<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
GLP-1 medications have become popular in and out of Hollywood \u2014 a trend that Ashley Graham<\/a> says is \u201ca smack in the face\u201d in the wake of the body positivity movement<\/a>.<\/p>\n The supermodel and activist \u2014 who has long built her brand around body positivity \u2014 opened up about the still-burgeoning trend, which has seen countless celebrities share their experiences with weight-loss medications<\/a>, in her cover story for Marie Claire<\/a>‘s annual Motherhood issue.<\/p>\n In the interview, published on Thursday, April 30, Graham, 38, addressed the popularity of weight-loss drugs and how it has re-centered thinness in the worlds of entertainment and fashion, stating, \u201cIt’s really disheartening.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThere 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,\u201d said the model and mom of three<\/a>.<\/p>\n Ashley Graham in April 2026 Regarding the fashion industry specifically, Graham told Marie Claire, \u201cIt goes with the times \u2014 and GLP-1s are a time\u2026 I know that there are, and there’s gonna still be, women who are considered plus-size forever.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThis drug isn’t going to wipe out a whole statistic of women,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n GLP-1 medications work to suppress appetite and have helped millions of Americans find weight-loss success by mimicking a natural hormone that helps regulate blood sugar levels and appetite, per the National Academy of Medicine<\/a>. They are prescribed to help manage blood sugar in people with type 2 diabetes and to induce weight-loss by slowing stomach emptying, reducing appetite and increasing feelings of fullness.<\/p>\n Speaking with Marie Claire, Graham also said she does not consider the rise in GLP-1 use to be a complete reversal of the body positivity movement, noting that throughout her career, she has \u201cseen more movement for plus-size women than some people give the whole industry credit for.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhy would I stop now and why would I get angry about the work I’ve done? I put my head down and I focus on the women we’ve built the community with,\u201d said the model, who just dropped a JCPenney collection catering to plus-size customers<\/a>.<\/p>\n Ashley Graham in April 2026 And she’s not the only one. \u201cThere’s so many [plus-size influencers and creators]\u2026 they’re all over the place with their sizes and their proportions and how they look and how they’re relatable,\u201d Graham told Marie Claire.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd to me, that’s the coolest part about all of this,\u201d she continued. \u201cSeeing 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, \u2018Be yourself, be who you want to be. If you have cellulite, who cares?’ “<\/p>\n \u201cIt’s incredibly important to continue to advocate for women of all shapes, all sizes and all backgrounds to have clothes that fit\u2026 to have people who don’t have confidence, have confidence in themselves,\u201d Graham told the magazine, adding that her community is not \u201cjust curvy women.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI think it’s all kinds of women because, really, confidence at the end of the day, it doesn’t discriminate,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n![\"Ashley](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/a7ee4d8fb1b8f510be1ead5f980391ae.jpeg\"\/)
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Credit: Astrida Valigorsky\/Getty<\/p>\n![\"Ashley](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/eee5f8fc31b894895bae4003fb77f73d.jpeg\"\/)
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Credit: JC Olivera\/Variety via Getty<\/p>\n