Problem with Chrissie Swan’s weight loss

The conversations around Chrissie Swan’s transformation are a reminder of the daily backhanded compliments all plus-size women face.

Chrissie Swan’s body has changed, and while that in itself I don’t find particularly interesting, I am fascinated by the media and public’s reaction to her weight loss.

There’s a general sense of approval and applause and it’s not a sound or message women need to be hearing.

As a plus-size woman, I’m often disheartened and horrified by the way women are treated when they lose weight, Adele anyone? And the ongoing conversation around Swan’s body continues to serve the narrative that the only body women will be praised for is a smaller one, instead of perhaps a happier one.

Why do I think this? Because the media and just everyday people are now swarming Swan with backhanded compliments. You only have to venture onto Swan’s Instagram to see comments like, “Wow, you look amazing now!” To, “You are so gorgeous now!” And it’s the use of the word ‘now’ that I have an issue with.

As if before she was neither of these things?

Then there’s the media’s coverage of Swan’s weight loss. Swan is now being described as ‘unrecognisable’, ‘sensational’ and even ‘impressive.’ The message is loud and clear, Swan’s new body is a ‘better’ body and why? Just because it is smaller? And therefore, we should all suddenly admire Swan.

Sure, she’s always been an award-winning radio host and television personality, but now she’s a thin one! Of course, our obsession with women being smaller is nothing new. But I always find it hard to swallow and I can’t help but wonder how it all makes Swan feel.

Chrissie Swan’s transformation is a reminder of the daily backhanded compliments all plus-size women face. Picture 1: Instagram/chrissieswan, Picture 2: Julie Kiriacoudis

It might be nice to suddenly be lumped with all this approval, but it can’t feel nice to know that approval only comes based on how many kilos you weigh. I mean, Swan is smart, funny and beautiful, yet only now she’s being heralded as impressive? And the word impressive isn’t being used to describe Swan’s career, rather her waistline.

Now, all Swan has to do is post a photo of herself, and people will comment, “well done!” As if just existing in a smaller body is an achievement. And what kind of message is that sending to other women? You know the women like me that are living in bodies that look more like her old one.

None of this is Swan’s fault. She’s made it clear that she doesn’t want to discuss her weight loss at length or contribute the loss to any kind of fad diet. She very clearly doesn’t want her new body to become the new stick that diet culture beats women with. Still, that’s what is happening; Swan’s body is now being held captive by diet culture.

Suddenly Swan has become aspirational instead of relatable and now women are being told if they just follow Swan’s new regimen, they can look like her! Now, I’ve personally always found Swan very attractive, but it’s worth noting no women were being told they should look like her before she was small. So why now? Why do we insist on only worshipping women’s bodies when they are at their smallest?

Still, what’s getting lost in this weight loss focused praise are some much more interesting things. Like that Swan has recently quit drinking, is walking every day to focus on her mental health and has split from her long-term partner. Interesting right? Perhaps she is just in a good place currently. Yet all of that is eclipsed because she’s wearing a different size of jeans now. It reminds me how much women are defined by their size instead of who they are.

I’d personally loved to know more about why she quit drinking or how she is feeling after a long-term relationship ending but I imagine Swan is too busy fielding weight loss questions to answer. I mean maybe Swan is looking so good at the moment because she’s in a good place and her current glow isn’t because she’s dropped some weight but because she’s dropped some bad habits.

Or maybe we all just need to accept she always looked good! It’s just now we are finally noticing.

Honestly, I could care less what size Swan is, but I deeply care about the messages we are sending other women in response to her weight loss. It seems like every time a celebrity loses weight, the world’s fatphobia is exposed and women are told that the best thing you can be is skinny and the worst thing you can be is big. And while we can’t control the world, I hope one thing we all can do is learn that when you compliment someone, it’s never, “You look gorgeous now”, and it is always, “you look gorgeous!” It’s a start, right?

If you or anyone you know need help or support for an eating disorder or concerns about body image, please call Butterfly Foundation National Helpline on 1800 334 673.

Mental health professionals are available 24/7 at the beyondblue Support Service on 1300 22 46 36 or via beyondblue.org.au/get-support for an online chat between 3pm - 12am AEST).

Mary Madigan is a freelance writer, a lover of complicated coffee orders and expensive clothes and a hater of pubs that don’t have a happy hour. You can follow her on Instagram here.

This article originally appeared on Body + Soul and has been reproduced with permission.