It’s Okay to Feel Hurt When Celebrities Like Selena Gomez Lose Weight, but Let’s Unpack That

glamour.com:

, her visibly slimmer appearance sparked a wave of reactions from fans. Many felt betrayed by the physical transformation of the singer and actress, who has come to be a symbol of and self-acceptance for many—and I think this sense of betrayal is something we need to unpack.It’s easy to understand why fans might feel hurt or, at least, conflicted: Selena about her body image issues in the past, sharing positive messages about her weight fluctuations as a result of medication and slamming commenters who body shame her.

In a sea of already-thin A-listers who appear to have become even thinner thanks to the rise of weight-loss injections like , Selena stood out as a figure who often represented a more relatable body type—a size that is far more common within the general population.

Her presence felt like a refreshing departure from the increasingly homogenous beauty standards dominating Hollywood.Essentially, she made many of us feel seen and represented in a space that is usually reserved for ultrathin women.

Which is bonkers considering she’s always been , but hey—unfortunately that’s the diet-culture-steeped world we live in.Millennial women seem to have finally opened our eyes to the fact that our generation was caught in the crossfires of a uniquely heinous, fatphobic time in cultural history that's left us seriously screwed up.