Before-and-after photos are everywhere: on social media, in fitness ads, and even in medical offices. They promise transformation. They suggest that one version of a body is bad and another version is good. But do these photos really inspire healthy change, or do they reinforce harmful beliefs about bodies and health?

They label bodies as right or wrong.

A before-and-after image tells a story: the “before” was a problem, and the “after” is the solution. This framing can be deeply harmful, teaching people that their worth is tied to changing their bodies. When we consistently see one body positioned as a failure and the other as a success, it reinforces the message that only certain bodies are acceptable. This binary view leaves little room for the natural diversity of bodies and can lead people to view weight or shape as a moral issue rather than a neutral physical characteristic.

They erase the complexity of health.

Health is not just physical appearance, and appearance changes can come at a significant cost, such as surgery, extreme

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