Amid ongoing discourse about body image issues, especially heightened in the wake of Ariana Grande announcing her break from public life, actress Gracie McGraw is sharing her own take.
The oldest of Tim McGraw and Faith Hill's three daughters, 29, took to her Instagram Stories with a detailed account of her own journey with eating disorders, body image issues and using the weight loss drug Ozempic.
Gracie had previously shared that she was using Ozempic (later switching to Mounjaro) to combat symptoms of her PCOS. "At that time I thought it was the best decision I ever made because I finally lost weight and got skinny," she penned.
© Instagram"As soon as I started shedding a few pounds I noticed how people looked at me differently on the streets, in my friend groups and family, and in my own job. I got more opportunities when I lost weight than I ever have had in my life."
She explained that despite the newfound adulation, she was still struggling with her own perception of her body thanks to years of external and internal body shaming, especially in comparison to her famous parents and her two younger sisters, Maggie and Audrey.
"I've been called fat and ugly my entire life, whether that had been from magazines or the internet, constantly saying I must have different genes than my sisters and parents because I was the 'fat' one and didn't have the looks that my family has."
© Getty ImagesGracie shared that looking back, she realized she had gotten "way too skinny" while taking the Ozempic shots, but at the time, she'd thought she could stand to lose even more weight. The comments about her body made her think at the time: "Wow for the first time in my life people are actually noticing me, noticing me because I lost weight, but still noticing me."
By that point, weight loss drug usage was becoming more and more normalized and prevalent, which led Gracie to the realization that "skinny culture is back and I realized holy crap I have been feeding into my eating disorder this whole time under the guise of this miracle shot."
She calls it "probably one of the worst things I've ever done for myself," noting that while it did help with her PCOS symptoms, it contributed further to her struggles with her body. "My internal system is forever changed since taking the meds," she shared. "Yes, it [expletive] worked and made my pcos symptoms easier to control, but it also brought back my ED and negative views on my body."
© Getty ImagesRelating back to the current discourse surrounding body image and thinness, she referenced a quote from Hannah Einbinder equating thinness to fascism. "Having concern for someone, doesn't also mean you can’t have empathy for their situation," the Broadway hopeful wrote.
"But, telling people to not speak on this is incredibly wrong and damaging. It's promoting created thinness as [a] goal not as danger. We are at a time when we need to be taking care of ourselves and our people," she wrote, encouraging others to seek help or talk to someone they trust if they're struggling with such issues.
Sharing a status update on herself, she concluded: "Also, just wanted to point out I am doing so good now and ya know, have slip ups from time to time when it comes to how I feel about my body, but I wanted to speak on this conversation since it's something I have always been open and passionate about."
© InstagramIf you or someone you know is struggling with an eating disorder, contact the mental health hotline at (866) 903-3787 or check out their website for further resources
