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Social media users, including health professionals, share images of the thin ideal when discussing body image.

Discussing the thin ideal is important, but sharing images of the thin ideal is harmful to body image.

Repeated viewing of these images changes our ideas about what is normative and fuels body dissatisfaction.

We urge social media users to stop sharing images of extreme thinness when discussing body image.

The pivot by high-profile celebrities and influencers from promoting body positivity to embracing the extreme thinness ideal has made many women and men, including mental health professionals, justifiably concerned and upset.

A quick scroll through popular social media feeds reveals numerous posts that feature images of extremely thin celebrities accompanied by dialogue ranging from, “Did she or didn’t she [take a GLP-1]?” to discussions about why this trend is dangerous, debates about whether it’s anyone’s business how women manage their bodies, and full-blown insults directed toward the bodies of the women featured.

Body Image Is a Global Health Concern

No doubt, discussion about the thin ideal is important. Body image has........

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