Pop star Taylor Swift’s grip on our cultural imagination isn’t just getting some people to copy her penchant for friendship bracelets and bedazzled Travis Kelce jerseys. A new study suggests that her openness about her struggles with body image, disordered eating, and body objectification has helped some fans improve their own attitudes and behaviors around food and body image.
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For the study, researchers examined more than 8,300 comments in the top 200 TikTok and Reddit posts about Taylor Swift, eating disorders, and body image to assess how her messages have impacted her fans.
“Our findings suggest that fans who felt highly connected to Swift were influenced to positively change their behaviors or attitudes around eating or their body image because of Swift’s disclosures and messages in her music,” said study coauthor Lizzy Pope, PhD, RD, an associate professor of nutrition and food sciences and director of the Didactic Program in Dietetics at the University of Vermont in Burlington, in a statement.
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This matters because roughly 9 percent of Americans, or 28.8 million people, will experience an eating disorder at some point in their lives. About 8.6 percent of women and 4.07 percent of men experience one. Up to 84 percent of women experience dissatisfaction with their body, which is a risk factor for an eating disorder.
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Several of Swift’s songs touch on disordered eating, including “You’re On Your Own Kid” where she empathizes with her younger self: “I hosted parties and starved my body, like I’d be saved by the perfect kiss.”
Swift also spoke candidly about her struggles with disordered eating, body image, and body objectification in her 2020 film, Miss Americana. In it she says, “Because if you’re thin enough, then you don’t have that ass that everybody wants, but if you have enough weight on you to have an ass, then your stomach isn’t flat enough. It’s all just f***ing impossible.”
Beyond what she has sung or said, Swift’s cast of body-diverse dancers on her Eras Tour has helped challenge the notion that only people of certain body sizes can perform on stage, the study authors noted.
When celebrities go public about mental health challenges they’ve faced, it can help reduce stigma and raise awareness around these conditions, according to the American Psychological Association.
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“When a person is dealing with an eating disorder they may feel ashamed and socially isolated and misunderstood,” says Maria Rago, PhD, the president of the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders (ANAD) in Chicago. “Finding someone that they admire who admits her own struggles, who is very relatable like Taylor Swift can reduce this isolation, decrease shame and help people feel supported and understood.”
‘She Taught Me I’m Perfect Just the Way I Am’
The study authors found that TikTok and Reddit users routinely disclosed their own experiences with food issues, eating disorders, and body image in response to posts about Taylor Swift and body image. For example, one user wrote: “Proud of her … and myself because she taught me I’m perfect just the way I am,” according to the study.
Many comments and posts examined in the study centered on how inspiring it was for users to see Swift’s bravery in frankly talking about her own struggles with her body image and disordered eating, the study noted.
A Reddit post titled “Taylor Swift helped me fight my ED (eating disorder)” offered an even deeper look at just how much Swift’s disclosures have helped fans improve their own self-image and behaviors. “I have struggled with a horrible eating disorder for a few years now,” according to excerpts of this post, which were included in the study. “To hear that Taylor had the same thoughts and the same problems as me and so many other people, was so validating and so inspiring. … I can honestly say if I didn’t have her inspiration I wouldn’t be where I am today, I wouldn’t be in recovery.”
As to why Swift’s music may be helping some people in this way: “Taylor Swift’s music is vulnerable, and she shares parts of herself, her pain, and her struggles frequently, deeply, and intentionally,” says Serena Nangia, the senior marketing and communications manager at Project HEAL, a nonprofit in Parkville, Maryland, focused on supporting people struggling with disordered eating and body image issues. “I believe fans feel closer to her than to other celebrities because of this vulnerability.”
“[Swift] often describes in her music that she feels trapped in the culture when she tries to live up to how she is expected to look, and this is a universal truth and many people have to fight with in our world,” says Dr. Rago. “She also implies that she is empowered and she is no longer willing to define herself by her body, and she is no longer willing to starve herself to fit in. Hearing this message can inspire her listeners and followers that they can get off this diet merry-go-round and self-starvation to look pleasing to others as well.”
Her transparency also influenced other celebrities like Lady Gaga, who has publicly battled with disordered eating, the study noted. Gaga posted a comment on a TikTok clip about Miss Americana, praising Swift for talking about her eating disorder. “That’s really brave
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Not all of the study’s findings were positive, however. Some fans were upset or conflicted by Swift’s artistic decision to display the word “fat” on a scale in her video for her song “Anti-Hero” in 2022, for example. The clip was removed from the music video shortly after its release following the backlash.
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The Study Has Some Limitations
Although the study had promising findings, it also had some limitations.
For instance, the study wasn’t a controlled experiment designed to prove whether or how Swift might directly impact her fans’ physical or mental health. Rather, researchers did what’s known as a qualitative analysis of comments and posts, which focused on surfacing common sentiments and themes.
Even so, the findings underscore the outsize influence Swift has on how some of her fans see themselves, how they eat, and how they feel about their appearance, the study concluded.
“There is little doubt that if she chooses to be, Swift can be a powerful voice for health, wellness, and more weight-inclusive practices that may move society closer to the idea of body liberation,” Dr. Pope said in a statement.
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Taylor Swift’s Eating Disorder Is a Common Risk
Eating disorders are complex mental health conditions that require specialized treatment. Treatment often involves a combination of psychological therapy, nutritional education, and medical care. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), specifically adapted for eating disorders, is commonly used to address the unhealthy thoughts and behaviors associated with these conditions.
Medications can also play a role in treating eating disorders, especially in managing symptoms of related conditions like depression and anxiety. Antidepressants are frequently prescribed for those with bulimia and binge-eating disorders.
Long-term management of eating disorders involves ongoing treatment to address any health complications and prevent relapse. It is essential for patients to engage actively in their treatment and use support from healthcare professionals, family, and friends.
Complementary therapies such as acupuncture, yoga, and meditation can help reduce stress and support overall well-being, but they should not replace conventional medical treatments. Seeking reliable information and support from trusted organizations like ANAD or Project HEAL is also recommended for both patients and their families.
