Here we go… again!
The New York Times, Oct. 29 exposes the fiction sold by “countless ‘skinny influencers’” on social media. Namely: Food liberation is possible… if you control every aspect of food, such as:
- “Talking incessantly about eating”
- “Taping one’s mouth to avoid late-night cravings”
- “Eating three bites at every meal” and being done
- And – using GLP-1 weight loss drugs to “turn off the internal food noise”
Yet, despite the influencers’ double-speak, the New York Times reveals: The “audience returns, again and again.” The million-pound question is… why?
Our just-published November 2025 Socionomist cover story “The Return of Ultra-Skinny Beauty: Does Social Mood Have Body Issues?” follows the fat-free breadcrumbs back several centuries, and uncovers a powerful correlation between social mood and the mainstream adoption of a one-small-size-fits-all body image — much like this advertisement from another time in history, included in the report:
This report is worth its weight in unbiased research, historical charts and news clippings, and socionomic insights into what drives society’s rejection or acceptance of specific body types. Read the full issue today, from cover story to cover, for just $30.