Taylor Swift’s Impact on Fans’ Body Image, Eating Disorder Attitudes: How Do Celebrities Positively Influence the Community?

A new study from the University of Vermont (UVM) shows that Taylor Swift's fans are happier because she is open about her issues with body image and disordered eating.

The study shows how Swift's openness about these problems has changed how her fans feel about them.

Taylor Swift's Impact on Fans' Body Image, Eating Disorder Attitudes; How Celebrities Positively Influence the Community — (Photo: Getty Images/ Kevin Winter)

How Taylor Swift Impacts Attitudes

The UVM study looked at the top 200 TikTok and Reddit posts, along with over 8,300 comments, about Taylor Swift, eating problems, and body image. It was published in the journal Social Science & Medicine.

The point was to discover how Swift's fans felt when she told them about her eating problem. Associate Professor Lizzy Pope of UVM's Nutrition and Food Sciences Department said that their research showed that Swift's music influenced fans who connected to her to change how they ate or positively felt about their bodies.

The analysis found several positive themes. The most important was that Swift's fans saw her as an example of how to recover from an eating problem. Many of Swift's fans used her story and songs to help them get better.

Swift has been open about her problems with poor eating, body image, and seeing her body as an object in her 2020 documentary called Miss Americana. These honest statements go against the social rules that support diet culture, often influenced by celebrities.

The Dual Impact of Celebrity Influence

Even though the effect was primarily positive, the study found that Swift's fans often made fun of her body, showing a complicated conversation. People had different responses when the word "fat" was shown on a scale in her music video for "Anti-Hero."

Pope said that in "Miss Americana," Swift talked about how she was tired of being looked at as an object and how that made her eat badly. Though this happened, people kept talking about her body. Pope pointed out that these comments, even when meant well, showed that people had not fully understood Swift's message that you shouldn't comment about other people's bodies.

This paradox brings up a bigger problem: public confessions from celebrities can be powerful, but they might not be enough to fix societal issues like anti-fat bias on their own. In addition, Swift fans of all body types liked how honest she was, which suggests that her honesty helped them deal with their problems with food and body image. The dancers on Swift's current Eras Tour have different body types, which goes against the idea that professional dancers have to fit into a single body type.

Swift's honesty has made her fans feel less shame about having an eating disorder. This is very important because shame caused by stigma can keep people from getting help, which can be bad for their health. Pope said that Taylor Swift can change people's minds with just a few words, which is better than any other artist could do in their career.

The researchers hope Swift and other celebrities will use their fame to promote health, wellness, and habits open to people of all sizes. This study shows that famous people can strongly advocate for good change, bringing society closer to body freedom.

Taylor Swift's public admission that she struggles with disordered eating and body image issues has given her fans strength and shown how personal revelations can't solve bigger problems in society. Swift has had a big effect on her fans' views on body image and eating issues by using her fame. This shows how much of an impact celebrities can have on public health and wellness.