Taylor Swift’s candidness inspires body positivity: US study

University of Vermont research says singer’s openness about body image helps fans

In a world where pop stars often seem untouchable, Taylor Swift’s candidness about her struggles with body image and disordered eating has proven to be a game changer for many of her fans.

According to Guardian, new research from the University of Vermont (UVM) shows that Swift’s openness has not only helped her fans feel understood but has also inspired many to positively change their behaviours and attitudes towards their own body image.

The study, published in the July issue of the Social Science & Medicine journal, analysed the top 200 TikTok and Reddit social media posts that discussed Swift, eating disorders, and body image. The posts contained more than 8,300 comments, providing a substantial data set for the researchers to draw their conclusions.

“Our findings suggest that fans who felt highly connected to Swift were influenced to positively change their behaviors or attitudes around eating or their body image because of Swift’s disclosures and messages in her music,” said Lizzy Pope, a registered dietitian nutritionist and associate professor in UVM’s nutrition and food sciences department.

Pope’s fellow registered dietitian nutritionist and study author, Kelsey Rose, a UVM clinical assistant professor, added: “Fans seem to take inspiration from the fact that Swift had recovered from disordered eating and subsequently appeared to be thriving.”

Not all good news

However, the study’s findings about the “parasocial” — or one-sided — relationship between Swift and her fans, known as Swifties, aren’t exclusively good news. The survey found that some fans ignore Swift’s message and insist on objectifying her body, demonstrating “the limitations of personal disclosures to [affect] understanding of systemic issues like anti-fat bias.”

Swift made headlines in 2020 when she detailed her struggles with body image and societal beauty standards in her documentary Miss Americana. The singer shared how seeing pictures of herself made her feel like her “tummy was too big” and how speculation over whether she was pregnant would trigger her “to just starve a little bit”.

“If you’re thin enough, then you don’t have that a** … everybody wants. But if you have enough weight … to have an a**, your stomach isn’t flat enough,” Swift remarked in the documentary. She then uttered the words which provided the title of Pope and Rose’s recent study: “It’s all just f**king impossible.”

One of the comments cited in the study was in response to Miss Americana, saying: “To hear that Taylor had the same thoughts and the same problems as me and so many other people was so validating and so inspiring … I can honestly say if I didn’t have her inspiration I wouldn’t be where I am today … in recovery.”

The study also referenced Swift’s 2022 music video for her hit Anti Hero, which depicted her stepping onto a scale, looking down at the weight reading, sighing in disappointment, and casting a guilty glance at her alter ego, who shakes her head in consternation.

Despite Swift’s efforts to shift the conversation around body image, the study found that she had not managed to completely silence comments objectifying her. Fans sometimes speculated about whether she had gained weight and if it reflected a higher level of happiness or health.

Nevertheless, the survey determined that the singer-songwriter was an effective role model for those fighting to overcome disordered eating. This was particularly evident after she embarked on her Eras concert tour in March 2023, which later became the first such venture to ever gross more than $1 billion.