In her teens and early twenties, Samantha Benjamin squeezed into shared rooms in cramped, messy model apartments. While waiting at castings or passing time between jobs, she and other models swapped weight-loss tips: illegal Adderall, extreme diets, even swallowing parasites—and later, un-prescribed Ozempic. “Models were always whispering about extreme ways to lose weight,” she says. Benjamin did fairly well, landing commercial gigs and occasional editorial work. But at 27, she mostly left modeling behind.

Now a social media manager living in Los Angeles with her boyfriend and puppies, Benjamin is clear about one main reason: “Girls are being called fat. Nobody is holding back.” In an industry where the typical sample size is zero, weight has always been key to a model’s success. But now, GLP-1 weight-loss drugs offer a tempting shortcut to thinness. Models, agents, casting directors, and designers are all noticing a striking return to skinniness on the runway. “Models have definitely gotten smaller,” says Zoe Latta of the New York fashion brand Eckhaus Latta. “I think it’s a mix of GLP-1s and a shift back to extreme thinness being the ideal look.” The Fall-Winter 2026 Vogue Business size inclusivity report showed drops in both mid-size and plus-size representation on the runway, hitting the lowest levels since the publication started tracking this data three years ago.

“When GLP-1s came out, a lot of models wondered, ‘If I want to do the top shows, if I want to work for these brands, should I get thinner?'” says Grace Breuning, a New York curve model. “And then a lot of models got thinner.”

It’s hard to overstate how widespread Ozempic has become. GLP-1s were approved for diabetes in 2017; now, one in eight Americans takes them. In January, Wegovy (a GLP-1) became available as a pill for as little as $150 a month. This month, the FDA approved a second pill, made by Eli Lilly under the brand name Foundayo. Fear of needles is less and less of a barrier for anyone tempted by semaglutide drugs. But along with their legitimate use for obesity and diabetes comes the risk of abuse. “It’s almost like the new-millennium cocaine,” says one major model agent.

The modeling industry has long helped spread unrealistic body standards, though there have been ups and downs. A wave of model deaths linked to starvation in 2006 and 2007 led to BMI reforms and rules. In 2017, Kering and LVMH teamed up on a “model charter” that set size guidelines, like banning strict requirements in casting calls. And the body-positivity movement of the 2010s and early 2020s—when models like Ashley Graham, Paloma Elsesser, and Tess Holliday sparked conversations about size inclusivity—seemed to build real momentum.

But now, with a few big exceptions, it looks like skinny is back, and GLP-1s are fueling the trend. Though semaglutide drugs can still be a taboo subject, some models are starting to talk more openly about them. “When I lost weight, I started booking a lot more work,” says model and reality TV star Brooks Nader, who has been on the cover of Sports Illustrated and says she “micro-doses” the drug. “I thought, okay, I guess [the industry] likes me thinner.”

“It’s become very, very trendy to be very, very skinny again,” says 27-year-old model Lottie Moss. In 2024, Moss (Kate Moss’s younger half-sister), who started modeling as a teen in 2016, was unusually open about how Ozempic abuse landed her in the emergency room. A year and a half later, she still feels some of the same pressures. “You think, if celebrities are using it, it must be safe,” says Moss, who says she has friends buying Ozempic online. “You see high-profile people using it, and you think, ‘it must be good for you.'”

In a surprising twist, some curve models are interestedPeople want to lose weight to improve their health, but they worry it might mean fewer job opportunities. Benjamin, who briefly worked as a curve model, says she once felt pressured to stay larger, even though she believes the reasons she gained that weight were unhealthy. “They either want you to be thin, or they want you to be a trophy curve model,” she says.

Breuning, who walked in Chanel shows in 2022 and 2023, says she’s noticed fewer castings for models her size (10-12) in recent years. Now, she mostly books commercial and beauty jobs. Some of her peers, who used to be her size, have dropped to a size 6-8. “Sometimes I feel too big for this industry,” she says, adding that the definition of “curve” and “plus-size” keeps changing. Still, she believes in the importance of size representation: “I’ve never known what it’s like to be thin, so seeing girls who looked like me meant a lot.”

The growing uniformity in body types for castings means there’s less room for the unique qualities that made some of the best models—whether it’s the 5-foot-7 Kate Moss or the size-12 Precious Lee—stand out as agents of change. “It’s all the same; it’s not interesting; it’s like everyone getting veneers,” says Benjamin. “So many things people now pay thousands of dollars for just make everything more boring.”

“Five years ago, when you saw more curve models on the runway, you also saw women who were smart, articulate, passionate, and stood up for things,” says Mina White, a director at IMG Models who has long pushed for inclusive sizing. “And now we’re back in this homogeneous Gattaca of talent,” she says, referencing the sci-fi film where eugenics controls society.

“Those plus-size women started a real conversation that was definitely needed,” says Kyle Hagler, founder of No Smoking. But, he adds, brands used them “to ride a wave of energy without actually making clothes that fit them for regular customers—that’s a problem for me. It’s tokenism.”

Fashion is an industry that both reflects and shapes culture, and it’s also driven by business realities. Including one or even ten curve models in a runway show doesn’t mean a high-fashion brand can sustain a line of plus-size clothing. “I’m a fat person,” says Latta, co-designer of Eckhaus Latta. “And I’m proud of it. But expecting my brand to make plus-size clothes is ridiculous. It wouldn’t be a sustainable business.”

“Nobody takes responsibility for it,” says Ashley Mears, a sociologist and former model who studies the modeling industry. There’s a chicken-and-egg argument behind fashion’s fat shaming: “The problem is the sample sizes… No, the problem is the designers… No, the problem is the agents,” Mears says, mimicking the blame-shifting she’s seen. “Everyone says the market gets what it wants, but they are the market.”

“If we’ve gone back to skinny girls, it’s because that’s what the people running these fashion houses, their casting directors, and their stylists are demanding,” says James Scully, a former casting director who worked with Tom Ford during his Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent days. Scully, who now runs the upstate New York clothing store Jamestown Hudson, selling niche designers like Pas de Calais and Aspesi, is blunt: “It has nothing to do with what customers want.” Just look at the comments under runway photos of extremely thin models—it’s clear the look bothers most people.

“Someone needs to wake them up,” says Scully, referring to those in power over casting. “It would be nice if one of those people came out and said, ‘Hey, this is bad, and we’re trying to do something about models doing things that are unhealthy for their bodies.'”

And what if models had more influence? “I have been…”I’ve been in this industry for so long, and I’ve opened myself up to criticism in a way that a lot of people will never understand,” says Breuning, who adds that she has no interest in changing her body just to get hired for a job. “I can weather this storm,” she says.

Frequently Asked Questions
Here is a list of FAQs about how GLP1s have impacted the modeling industry

BeginnerLevel Questions

1 What exactly are GLP1s and why are people in modeling taking them
GLP1s are medications originally for diabetes that also cause significant weight loss In the modeling industry many people use them to quickly drop to extremely low body weights required for highfashion runway or editorial work

2 Is it true that models are now thinner than they were a few years ago because of these drugs
Yes many industry insiders report a noticeable shift After a brief period of celebrating curvier models high fashion has swung back toward extreme thinness largely accelerated by the easy access to these weightloss drugs

3 Are these drugs legal for models to use
They are legal with a prescription but using them solely for cosmetic weight loss when you are not diabetic or obese is considered offlabel use While not illegal it is controversial and often discouraged by doctors

4 Do modeling agencies encourage models to take GLP1s
Most agencies officially say no due to liability and health concerns However behind the scenes many models feel immense pressure to stay thin for bookings and the drugs are an open secret Some agents may subtly suggest a model look into options if they gain weight

5 What are the most common side effects models are complaining about
The most common complaints are Ozempic face severe nausea fatigue and Ozempic butt These side effects can actually hurt a models look

Advanced IndustrySpecific Questions

6 How are GLP1s affecting the demand for plussize and curve models
It has created a chilling effect While plussize modeling hasnt disappeared the demand for straightsize models has surged again Many curve models report a slowdown in bookings as brands revert to using thinner girls who have lost weight via GLP1s

7 Are there any famous models who have admitted to using GLP1s
Very few admit it publicly due to stigma