Hi there,

This week, it has been impossible to ignore the discourse about Ariana Grande.

The singer and actress, who has been in the public eye since she was a teenager, is planning to take a break from the spotlight after her sold-out tour ends on Sept. 1. Her representative said on Sunday that her “public-facing work and appearances” had “led to endless, ongoing public scrutiny.”

She made the decision from a “thoughtful and empowered place,” the 33-year-old singer said later at her concert. 

The announcement came amid growing concerns from fans about her weight and health.

Their worry escalated when Grande released a new music video for her album’s title track, “Petal,” last Friday. Grande starred as a working actress on the audition circuit, facing harsh feedback about her appearance and marketability from a panel of older men. Toward the end of the video, Grande’s character unleashes a chain saw on the men evaluating her performance. But the video was met with a new onslaught of concern over her physical appearance.

Grande has never publicly said she struggled from an eating disorder, and in 2023 issued a public plea for people to stop commenting on her body. Now she’s ignited a debate: Is commenting on people’s bodies harmful, or does silence normalize extreme thinness? Many of the comments about Grande have come from people who have struggled with body image or recovered from eating disorders, who have strong feelings about this question.

I wanted experts to weigh in. Health professionals who specialize in eating disorders told me that the scrutiny can exacerbate illness, for both regular people and celebrities who might be struggling.

Sarah Ravin, a clinical psychologist in Coral Gables, Fla., told me the discourse is somewhat reminiscent of the criticism that dogged some young celebrities in the 2000s, including Mary-Kate Olsen and Nicole Richie. At the time, there wasn’t social media like today, where the 24/7 nature of the conversation can feel relentless.

“For people who are recovering from eating disorders, people who are trying to get better, these types of conversations around celebrities and their weight is very toxic,” Ravin said. Many in recovery are worried about being judged or perceived because of their body, she said. So, seeing that play out in the public sphere only validates that concern. 

Experts I spoke to had mixed views on the current discourse and what it might mean for everyday people. 

“When we turn a human being’s body into a public moral lesson, we aren’t helping anyone. We’re just weaponizing speculation under the guise of concern,” said Jessie Menzel, a clinical psychologist and senior vice president of clinical programs at Equip, a telehealth eating disorders treatment provider. 

She stressed the dangers of confining discussion of eating disorders to weight alone. “This discourse really reduces what is a very complex biological illness to simply being 100% about the way somebody’s body looks.” She called this “a huge public health disservice.”

“Weight is really a byproduct of somebody’s complex relationships between their thoughts, their emotions, and then the actions that they take to try to regulate or cope,” she added. 

Dr. Elizabeth Wassenaar, a psychiatrist and regional medical director at Eating Recovery Center, instead recommends that people have meaningful conversations with loved ones about how appearances and celebrities affect them: “How does that impact how they feel about their own body?”

Maria Rago, president of the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders and clinical psychologist, put it bluntly: “You shouldn’t deny reality and you shouldn’t be expected to pretend you don’t see something that you don’t see,” she said. “That’s not healthy.”

That said, it’s important people don’t make assumptions about why someone may have gained or lost weight, said Rago: “You can be caring.”

If you are struggling with body-image or eating concerns, you can call the National Alliance for Eating Disorders helpline at 866-662-1235. If you are in crisis or need immediate help, text “ALLIANCE” to 741741.

Read on for top stories of the week, from the Journal and elsewhere. Send me your thoughts on this week’s newsletter and what you’d like to read about in future editions. You can contact me at sara.obrien@wsj.com. If you’re reading this in your inbox, you can just hit reply!

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If you’re suddenly seeing the words “kinda chic” all over your social-media feed, you’re not alone. Users are sharing their “kinda chic” personality quirks, habits and beliefs alongside a carousel of photos of themselves. Some users have used the trend to comment on modern beauty standards and diet culture, embracing their Botox-free face or their love of carbs.

I’m Sara O’Brien, a reporter covering the intersection of culture, health and wellness. Each week, I’ll take you inside the latest health trends to help you understand where they came from, who’s profiting and whether they’re worth your money. Send me feedback or questions at sara.obrien@wsj.com (if you’re reading this in your inbox, you can just hit reply). Got a tip for us? Here’s how to submit.