Abbey Sharp criticizes social media trends idealizing extreme thinness

Canadian dietitian and author Abbey Sharp has criticized the rising social media trend of idealizing extreme thinness. Sharp specifically reacted to online content promoting a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 15, describing such messaging as a “deliberate attempt to cause harm.”

Health experts warn that maintaining an excessively low body weight increases the risk of disease, injury, and death. The standard BMI scale classifies a value below 18.5 as underweight, 18.5 to 24.9 as normal, 25 to 29.9 as overweight, and over 30 as obese.