Is Ariana Grande’s face really telling people something about her health? Some people online seem convinced it is.
Fans have been claiming her face has been showing signs of her deteriorating health, and her body is “starting to eat muscle.” However, experts are giving a reality check and explained that the human body doesn’t quite work like that.
They also asserted that a celebrity’s face on camera cannot tell strangers what’s happening with their health behind the scenes.
Fans are speculating about Ariana Grande’s health again, claiming there are signs of deteriorating health
Ariana Grande is currently on a quest to set “boundaries” and take a break from the spotlight.
The singer wrapped up her Eternal Sunshine tour on September 1 and is “taking a step back from visibility” after relentless “public scrutiny” in recent months, according to a statement announcing her break.
But the chatter about her appearance did not stop even after her latest plans were announced.
One viral comment claimed the singer’s body is “starting to eat muscle”
In a viral Reddit thread about her appearance, one comment stood out a little more sharply than the rest: “[it’s] a decline in motor functions because her body is starting to eat muscle since there is hardly if any fat left.”
The claim sounds clinical, and plenty of readers might treat it as fact. But this is an oversimplified version of what actually happens to the body, according to Catherine Cook-Cottone, a licensed psychologist and expert on eating dis**ders.
“Nothing definitive can responsibly be concluded about a person’s physical or psychological health from photographs or video footage,” the author of The Disordered Eating Recovery Workbook told Bored Panda.
As a psychologist, she said she would never “diagnose or speculate” about the health of someone without physically evaluating them, because “appearance is not a diagnosis.”
However, while referring to the “body is starting to eat muscle” statement, she said it could be a loose description of something that happens when a person experiences prolonged inadequate nutrition.
Experts said the “eating muscle” phrase is an oversimplification of what’s happening inside the body
“What the research does show is that prolonged inadequate nutrition can be associated with loss of muscle and lean mass,” she said.
Dr. Fuat, a plastic surgeon associated with Longevita, also weighed in and said “eating muscle” is not a medically accurate term, but it describes a real process in an oversimplified way.
“When the body does not get enough energy from food over a prolonged period, it has to find that energy elsewhere,” he told Bored Panda. “Stored body fat is one source, but the body can also break down protein from muscle tissue to help meet its needs.”
He stressed that there is no clear-cut switch from fat loss to muscle loss.
“A person does not need to lose all their body fat before muscle loss can happen,” he said, noting that one’s body can lose both fat and muscle at the same time when there’s a shortage of energy for a long time.
He also said the amount lost will depend on the individual and the duration of energy shortage.
Moreover, Dr Fuat asserted that simply looking “very lean” does not give any indicators of a person’s muscle mass or nutritional status.
Experts warned against treating thinness and malnutrition as the same thing
“A photograph cannot tell us how much muscle someone may have lost. Weight history, nutrition, strength and physical function all form part of that picture,” he added.
He also warned against treating thinness and malnutrition as the same thing.
“Being thin does not necessarily mean someone is malnourished; and someone does not have to look underweight to be malnourished,” he continued. “Appearance alone cannot tell us whether a person is getting the nutrition their body needs.”
There is also no single way that a person’s face changes when they lose a significant amount of weight.
“Facial fat is not one single layer,” Dr Fuat said. “It sits in separate areas of the face, so losing volume can make some areas change more noticeably than others.”
This means substantial weight loss can sometimes make the cheekbones or jawline appear more defined, while other areas, such as the cheeks or temples, may appear more hollow.
Both experts said nothing can be determined about Ariana’s health, or in fact anybody’s health, by simply looking at their appearance.
But Cook-Cottone said the broader conversation around celebrity bodies is worth looking at.
Public figures can influence cultural ideas about bodies, beauty, eating and health, particularly when their images are widely consumed by children and adolescents.
She noted that periods when extremely thin bodies become highly visible and culturally celebrated can be difficult for people affected by eating dis**ders.
The University at Buffalo professor also made another very important distinction: recognizing a star’s influence “is not the same as holding a celebrity responsible for having a particular body, experiencing illness, or struggling with physical or mental health.”
In other words, celebrities can have an undeniable impact on beauty standards without becoming responsible for meeting or rejecting a particular body aesthetic. Their body is still their own, and their appearance does not have to serve as a lesson in what is healthy or unhealthy.
For people concerned about their loved one’s health, there is a healthy way to approach them
To people concerned about the body weight of someone they care about, Cook-Cottone said it is “important to say something,” but she also noted that there’s a preferred and healthy way to do it.
“Approach them privately and compassionately and be honest about your concern,” she suggested.
She also said one can focus on specific changes or behaviors that they have personally observed instead of making assumptions or evaluating their body based on a change in appearance.
“You might say, ‘I’ve noticed some changes lately, and I’m concerned about you. How are you doing?’ Or, when appropriate, be specific: ‘I’ve noticed that you’ve been skipping meals, and I’m concerned about you,’” she said.
It’s also important to “listen without judgment and encourage them to speak with a qualified health professional,” added the expert.
“You do not need to diagnose someone- or be certain that they have an eating dis**der- to notice concerning changes, express care, and encourage them to seek support,” she said.
“Hope she’s doing ok, the internet is brutal,” one commented online
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