Body Shaming is Big Business — But We’ve Opted Out

Hey, Beautiful. Let me begin by reminding you that your body is not a problem to be fixed. Read that again: you are not broken, babe, rather, the system is. Indeed, Body Shaming is Big Business. Corporations, large and small, profit from your insecurities. But hear this—your body is not a business plan!

I’ve felt that fluorescent-lit dressing-room dread too. Time after time, I’ve stood there, trying on a cute outfit, only topick apart my reflection in the mirror—the shadows accentuate every fold and bump, don’t they? I remember believing that life would be better “if only” I looked different. Sound familiar? Girl, you’re not alone. Once upon a time, I thought this way, too. And over the years, I’ve learned—and have to constantly remind myself—that it wasn’t my fault, and likewise, it’s not yours. Ultimately, Body Shaming is Big Business precisely because it profits from our doubt.

I remember the malleable teenage me, flipping through a fitness magazine at the corner store. Unexpectedly, the cover screamed, “Flatten Your Abs in 10 Days.” Although I wasn’t even thinking about my abs until that moment, I suddenly felt inadequate. Surely, I must flatten my abs because these professionals said so. In that instant, something snapped; a sort of misguided inspiration fueled me. Consequently, I started doing crunches in my bedroom before school—not because it felt good, but rather because I believed I had to earn my place in my body.

Body shaming messaging didn’t come from nowhere. 

On the contrary, corporations manufactured it for profit—and they still do. For example:

• Advertising: From billboards promising “Summer Shred” memberships to subway posters urging you to “Lose the Quarantine 15.” Marketing taps shame as a shortcut to sales.
• Magazines: Glossy covers recycle the same headlines—do you recognize these? “Drop Two Sizes Fast,” “Erase Cellulite Forever,” and “Lose weight with this executive plan,” all promote weight loss. “7-day Abs Challenge,” “Your 6-week glute gains challenge,” “2 weeks to wide shoulders,”—it’s an endless loop of perceived flaws and quick-fix solutions.
• Social Media: Influencers earn commissions/followers/fame for promoting “flat-tummy teas,” snatched waists, meal-replacement shakes, and adaptogen pills. Their posts boosted by algorithms that learn to target anyone who hovered over a self-doubt meme. The message at its root says you’re not enough/you need to change. Influencers themselves are victims of the industry, too. They deliver a message that is not entirely theirs, but convinced it is, all for the sake of profits.
• Apps & Wearables: Push notifications scold you for missing step goals, while premium upgrades tempt you with “body-fat annihilation” programs. These push notifications are high converters of anxiety into monthly subscriptions. Not to mention the “ideal” model is usually white, or white-presenting, thin with pouty lips, atypical of most women’s bodies.
• Power Dynamics: Executives—still predominantly white men—capitalize on patriarchal ideals. This homogeneous group decides which body types trend this season and which products will “fix” you next. When capital, policy, and storytelling channels are filtered through predominantly male leadership with zero ethnic diversity, a narrow body ideal becomes profitable doctrine.
  

Huge body shaming marketing budgets are hard to ignore.

The global beauty, diet, and fitness industries make nearly a trillion dollars a year (that’s one million millions). Even taken separately, the beauty & personal care and diet industry are each in the hundreds of billions. Together they comfortably exceed half a trillion dollars in annual revenue, illustrating how powerfully these industries monetize body insecurity.

And the fitness industry is its own beast. Even brick-and-mortar gyms alone tops the $100 billion mark. And when you add fast-growing digital platforms—and the gear they sell—the fitness sector comfortably sits in the quarter-trillion-dollar range. That’s a lot of dollars spent to keep us convinced we need their product to “fix” our bodies.

Clearly, these industries rely on one thing: your insecurity. After all, if you felt at home in your body, you wouldn’t need their product.

Because, what is the message, then, if not toxic?

What would you do without detox teas, body-sculpting tools, or “bikini body” programs? What would billboards push without convincing you your “summer body” is unworthy? What would influencers peddle without flat-tummy fear fueling affiliate clicks? What would fitness apps upsell if missed-step alerts sparked zero shame?

Body shaming is big business, but what would magazines print each January if “lose ten pounds fast” no longer moved product? What would gyms pitch every spring without mirror-fed guilt sealing auto-renew contracts? What would protein brands claim if softness wasn’t mocked as weakness? What would smart scales market if natural weight fluctuation felt normal? What would corporate wellness challenges sell if belonging didn’t hinge on numbers?

Their job is to convince you there’s something wrong—so that, ultimately, they can sell you the fix.

This isn’t your fault. However, healing is your right.

The Barre Eclipse Difference

Body-shaming is big business, but here at Barre Eclipse, we don’t sell insecurity. Instead, we offer an antidote. Our classes are fierce and fiery, yes—yet never rooted in “fixing” or “changing” you. We don’t chase aesthetic goals; rather, we reconnect you to your body, your rhythm, your wisdom. We honor you in your cycles, your moods, your ebbs and flows.

When I created Barre Eclipse, I wanted a place where movement could feel like rebellion and refuge. Something empowering, and safe for women to express themselves. Specifically, a place where we could learn to inhabit our bodies without shame, and without subscribing to someone else’s opinion. In short, I wanted a space where sweating wasn’t a punishment—it was a celebration.

This is your reminder: You are not broken; the system is.

You deserve a movement practice that uplifts, not undermines. You must demand messaging that reminds you of your wholeness and worth. And you need women-driven community that nourishes, not judges. Furthermore, you must amplify your voice to only support companies who encourage you to recall your power. Lastly, remembering that your power was never lost, only buried beneath someone else’s narrative.

So, join us. Let’s get busy with our reclamation and move like we already belong.

—Adrienne

Learn More About Barre Eclipse 🌙

Ready to explore more? Then visit our blog for body-affirming tips and refreshing insights that help you break free from diet and fitness culture. 

Or perhaps you want to feel what a body-affirming Barre Eclipse class is like? If so, join the Bodyweight Barre Challenge.

Additionally, follow Adrienne on Instagram or TikTok to get to know the founder on a personal level.

Finally, lead your own Barre Eclipse revolution with our Teacher Training. Download the free curriculum now.