<p>Is body positivity dead in the wake of Ozempic? We're exploring how weight loss culture and the 'heroin chic' aesthetic are making a high-speed comeback under the guise of medical wellness.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>☕ Support the show: <a href="http://www.buymeacoffee.com/rigourandflow" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.buymeacoffee.com/rigourandflow</a></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>With this being Mental Health Awareness week, we couldn’t think of a better time to put the spotlight on one of the most overlooked mental health conditions in the Black community. As just six months ago, body positivity felt like a permanent cultural shift and today, the landscape has changed. People are "shrinking" overnight.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>In response, Aiwan and Tamanda interrogate the radical shift in weight loss culture in 2026. From the medicalisation of weight loss using a “miracle” drug to the normalisation of "shrinking," we unpack how quickly the conversation has shifted back toward unhealthy control. We deep dive into how so called “wellness” language - and even medical terminology - is being used to mask aesthetic pressure and the impact of diet culture on Black body image.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Drawing on her personal experience with eating disorders and recovery, Tamanda reflects on the unsettling "seduction" of these new drugs, and what this shift means for a generation of teenagers watching people dwindle in real-time.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>🎙️&nbsp;<strong>In this episode:</strong></p><ul><li><strong>The Rise and Retreat:</strong>&nbsp;How body positivity moved from a cultural force to a quiet disappearance</li><li><strong>The Ozempic Effect:</strong>&nbsp;The medicalisation of weight loss and the normalisation of "shrinking"</li><li><strong>Wellness or Control?:</strong>&nbsp;Decoding how "health" language is being used to mask aesthetic pressure</li><li><strong>Race and Body Politics:</strong>&nbsp;How Black bodies sit differently inside cycles of visibility, pressure, and desirability</li><li><strong>Chasing Capitalism:</strong>&nbsp;Why the system needs our bodies to remain "projects" that need fixing</li><li><strong>Watching in Real Time:</strong>&nbsp;What this shift means for teenagers growing up inside it</li></ul><p><br></p><p><strong>Subscribe for more critical deep-dives into power, class and the Black experience.</strong>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>🎧 Listen wherever you get your podcasts
</p><p>🎥 Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/g-yUKuuTSCU </p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>🔁 Share with someone thinking about what “health” and “beauty” mean today.</p><p><strong>Please rate, review and subscribe for weekly episodes.</strong></p><p>Connect with us on:</p><ul><li><a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@rigourandflow" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">TikTok</a></li><li><a href="https://www.instagram.com/rigourandflow" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Instagram</a></li><li><a href="https://uk.linkedin.com/company/rigourandflow" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a></li><li><a href="www.aiaistudios.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">AiAi Studios</a></li><li><a href="www.rootsandrigour.org" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Roots &amp; Rigour</a></li></ul><p><br></p><p><em>This is an </em><a href="https://open.acast.com/networks/67d57addaaba807fb7eb365a/shows/67d57d23b3ef7ea352b50da3/www.aiaistudios.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>AiAi Studios</em></a><em> Production</em></p><p><em>©AiAi Studios 2025</em></p><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>