TikTok’s viral “sunglasses over the waist” challenge looks like harmless fun — until you realize what it’s really celebrating.
The trend, which involves balancing a pair of sunglasses across your waist to “prove” how tiny it is, has reignited conversations about thinness, body image, and the fading era of body positivity.
It started with Love Island USA star Olandria, who posted herself doing the challenge — sunglasses fitting neatly around her waist. The video went viral, and soon thousands joined in. But the trend didn’t begin on TikTok. It actually traces back to old eating disorder communities, where it was once used as a “thinness test.”
The resurgence of such content points to a bigger cultural shift: thin is trending again. From the Ozempic weight loss craze to fashion week’s shrinking diversity, we’re watching the return of an old beauty ideal dressed up in new filters and hashtags.
The Return of Thinness in Fashion
Just a few years ago, body diversity was the buzzword on global runways. But at Paris and Milan Fashion Weeks, the message was clear — plus-size inclusion is fading fast.
Only a few brands like Nina Ricci and BOSS featured curvy models like Ashley Graham. Everywhere else, ultra-thin silhouettes dominated again.
“It feels like we’re back to chasing thin,” writes Gift Davies. “The ‘all bodies are good bodies’ moment now feels like a distant memory.”
The Ozempic Effect
At the centre of this thinness revival is Ozempic, a diabetes drug turned celebrity weight-loss secret.
Originally made to regulate blood sugar, it went viral after people discovered its appetite-suppressing side effects.
Over 250 million views later, #OzempicChallenge clips flooded TikTok, and pharmacies faced shortages.
Suddenly, the aspirational body type shifted again — smaller, slimmer, more “controlled.” Influencers are visibly thinner, and surgical aesthetics like buccal fat removal are booming.
The Fade of Body Positivity
For years, social media was filled with empowering messages — “All bodies are beautiful,” “Stretch marks are normal.”
Now, that energy feels like it’s fading. What was once a movement for inclusion has become a marketing memory.
“Maybe body positivity was never real activism,” Gift argues. “It was branding — another aesthetic phase that disappeared when it stopped being profitable.”
So how does this relate to Ola exactly im confused. She’s doing a trend but people are saying she’s body checking?
— ♱ (@roxyveqaa) October 28, 2025
