Influencer Brooke Schofield has spoken out about the “dangers” of complimenting other people’s bodies while reflecting on her experience with weight loss.
In a recent video shared to her TikTok, Schofield responded to a comment on one of her posts that read: “Not gonna lie I think that Ozempic is working girl no hate.” The comment appeared to be a reference to the increased use of the injectable diabetes medication as a weight loss method, speculation that Schofield has denied.
Schofield, who has more than 268,500 followers, started off her video response by noting that she would be addressing her weight loss. “At the end of last year, I lost a lot of weight really quickly,” she said. “I lost over 20 pounds in a month.”
According to Schofield, since the weight loss, her followers have been making comments about her appearance, with remarks such as: “Oh my god, you look amazing. You’ve never looked better! Like wow, what did you do?”
She said that, when she first started hearing these remarks, she thanked people for them, as she knew that they were giving her compliments. However, Schofield said she has since realised that these comments weren’t benefiting her, noting that they influenced the way she felt about herself before the weight loss.
“It’s really dangerous to do that, because I never thought I looked bad before. I was really confident before, and the amount of people who have put so much emphasis on how much better I look now? Like, oof,” she said.
Schofield went on to confess that she struggled with unhealthy eating habits when she lost weight. She also shut down the assumption that she used Ozempic.
“Full transparency, I lost weight in the least healthy way possible. I wasn’t eating. Not on purpose,” she said. “I was going through the worst breakup ever. I couldn’t eat. I had such bad anxiety I couldn’t eat for months, okay? No Ozempic. There was no Ozempic involved.”
She emphasised that she was never on a diet, before adding that she was “unintentionally starving herself”.
However, the influencer went on to note that, although she’s in a “happy” place now, she’s worried about “gaining weight back again” because of the reaction to her weight change.
“But now I’m terrified to gain a pound, because there’s been so much emphasis on my weight loss and how good I look or whatever,” she added.
She concluded her video by telling people to “be careful when commenting on somebody else’s body,” even if they’re giving a compliment.
“I know it’s usually said with good intentions, but it’s scary sometimes because you don’t know how someone lost the weight,”the influencer added. “Unless you know that somebody is actively really trying and adopting a healthy lifestyle and stuff, probably don’t comment on any transformation or weight loss.”
As of 11 July, the video has more than 785,000 views, with people in the comments agreeing with Schofield’s advice, while also speaking candidly about their own experiences with weight loss.
“Why are people commenting on people’s appearances period?? Who raised y’all,” one person wrote.
“It’s always hard when people say how good you look after losing weight because of a bad breakup. Like lol thanks I can’t eat,” another added.
A third wrote: “I feel this so heavy. Lost weight from a severe [eating disorder]. That was when I got the most compliments. That prevented me from recovery for so long.”
The Independent has contacted a representative for Schofield for comment.
Along with Schofield, many celebrities have publicly urged people to stop commenting on the appearances of others. Last week, Jessica Simpsom shutdown rumours that she uses Ozempic following claims from fans that she didn’t “look like herself”.
“Oh Lord. I mean, it is not. It is willpower,” she said in an interview with Bustle. She also expressed disappointment over people commenting on others’ appearances, and sarcastically asked if fans would prefer she start drinking again because that was when she was “heavier”.
In April, Ariana Grande issued a rare statement in response to fans’ concerns about her body. In addition to telling viewers that “there are many different ways to look healthy and beautiful”, the singer also noted that people should be “less comfortable” with “commenting on [others’s] bodies, no matter what”.
“If you think you’re saying something good or well-intentioned, whatever it is - healthy, unhealthy, big, small, this, that, sexy, not sexy - we just shouldn’t. We should really work towards not doing that as much,” she said in a video posted to TikTok.
For anyone struggling with the issues raised in this article, eating disorder charity Beat’s helpline is available 365 days a year on 0808 801 0677. NCFED offers information, resources and counselling for those suffering from eating disorders, as well as their support networks. Visit eating-disorders.org.uk or call 0845 838 2040
