Like nearly everyone on your Instagram feed yesterday, Lucy Hale celebrated Father's Day by posting an old picture of herself with her Dad. "You taught me to have soul. I love you daddy," she wrote. It seemed innocuous enough, but some fans noticed she posted another comment afterward, directed toward hair stylist Scotty Cunha, "ugh I was so fat."
That upset some followers, especially since The Pretty Little Liars star has a young fan base.
Of course, this is problematic on a couple of levels. One: The way she labeled herself "fat" (and used "ugh") could trigger negative connotations with the word. As Refinery29 pointed out, fat is a body descriptor, not an insult. Two: It's inevitable that "fat" may be interpreted as a bad quality and young fans who see her call herself such, especially as a visibly slender person, can start comparing themselves then get the message that "fat" is unwanted or not beautiful.
While celebrities are human and entitled to insecurities, perhaps this is a reminder they have a responsibility to be extra careful when discussing body image on their public platforms.
