Ariana Grande's powerful message on body positivity and the importance of not making assumptions

Toxic body standards can have severe consequences on one's mental health and well-being. They can lead to individuals feeling the need to conform to unrealistic and unhealthy body standards, resulting in negative self-image, eating disorders, and other mental health issues. Therefore, it is vital to recognize and challenge these standards and promote body positivity, acceptance, and self-love. Ariana Grande posted a video on TikTok in which she addressed the comments made by social media users regarding her looks and weight, which serves as an excellent example of challenging these toxic body standards. Grande highlighted the importance of being gentler and less comfortable when commenting on people's bodies, emphasizing that there are many different ways to look healthy and beautiful.

She said, "I just wanted to talk a little bit about what it means to be a person with a body and to be seen and to be paid such close attention to. We should be gentler and less comfortable commenting on people's bodies, no matter what." She added, "Whatever it is — healthy, unhealthy, big, small, this, that, sexy, not sexy ... we should really work towards not doing that as much." Speaking about those who commented on her appearance changes from the past few years, Grande emphasized that one should not make assumptions about others since there are "many different ways to look healthy and beautiful."

She said, "The body that you've been comparing my current body to was the unhealthiest version of my body. I was on a lot of antidepressants and drinking on them, and eating poorly and at the lowest point of my life when I looked the way you consider my 'healthy.'" It is probable that Grande's video was a reaction to a series of social media posts over the weekend claiming that the singer looked excessively thin in pictures from her recent trip to London, with some even suggesting that her weight was not healthy. On Wednesday, April 12, model Bella Hadid expressed her backing for Grande and criticized those who gave "unsolicited advice or opinions, judgment, or aggression."

Hadid wrote in an Instagram post, "You never know what someone is dealing with mentally or physically. Disease or depression. Grief or heartache. You just don’t, and you will never know until you walk in a day in their shoes." She added, "There is always a reason for the way people look/feel, so try to be soft, especially when you don’t know someone or what they’ve been through. Instagram is not real and we need to look deeper and consciously remind ourselves that each of us is just human beings trying our best."

"So next time someone wants to write a nasty article to make fun of, or a mean comment to get some likes, just remember that. If someone wants to talk badly about another person, remove yourself from the conversation," she added. "It’s so much cooler to be kind. Love you, guys. And love you, Ari. This is so important, I am very proud of you. It will help so many people. Thank you."