“I hope she’s okay. She doesn’t look well,” another wrote. “…Something is up.”
Ariana Grande’s look sparked immediate conjecture that she suffered from an eating problem (ED).
”There is Hollywood skinny then there’s not ok skinny and she is not ok that is alarming skinny,” one commenter wrote.
“This is anrexia,” one person remarked, while another agreed, saying, “Damn, she’s anrexic. She needs help as soon as possible. Before her heart stops.”
“This is actually getting really concerning,” a fan added. “Every time she’s out and about she looks like she’s getting skinnier. To the people saying she’s fine, no she isn’t, this is the purest example of an*rexia there is.”
“She clearly has an ED and she needs help,” another said. “She’s scarily skinny these days … Atp she’s just skin and bones.”
According to behavioural and relationship expert Dr. Patrick Wanis, a lot of the ongoing criticism of Ariana Grande’s looks stems from what psychologists refer to as a “parasocial relationship”—a one-sided emotional bond that fans form with a celebrity despite the celebrity’s ignorance of their presence.
“Ariana Grande became famous as a Nickelodeon child star around age 17. The public has grown up with her and sees her through the lens of nostalgia, purity, and a fixed image of youth,” Dr. Wanis shared in an email to Bored Panda.
“Accordingly, any physical change—weight loss, weight gain, or aging—is magnified because people expect her to remain the same forever. Her fans identify with her youth.”
There has long been discussion about weight loss in the entertainment sector. Katy Perry, Christina Aguilera, and numerous other celebrities frequently make headlines for their weight fluctuations, whether they are weight gain or loss.
Extraordinary pressure
Celebrities—especially women—are frequently under tremendous pressure to adhere to unattainable body ideals, which can result in hazardous weight loss habits.
Fans are imploring Grande to prioritise her well-being and take care of herself, even though she has not publicly addressed the health issues.
“The public expects female celebrities to strike an impossible balance—thin but not ‘too thin,’ toned but not ‘too muscular,’ natural but not ‘too real.’ This is an extension of the extraordinary pressure and societal expectation of women,” Dr. Wanis explained.
This “toxic mix of nostalgia, beauty standards, and social media culture” creates immense pressure on Grande and other pop stars to “remain frozen in time – eternally youthful, while still conforming to impossible expectations of unattainable standards if not perfection,” said Dr. Wanis, the creator of SRTT Therapy (Subconscious Rapid Transformation Technique).
From conquering personal obstacles to discovering her voice in a frequently challenging field, Ariana’s path has been transparent. Her supporters respect her fortitude, but they also don’t hesitate to tell her that she should prioritise her health and happiness.
