New photo of Ariana Grande looking ‘strikingly thin’ sparks more health concerns about Wicked star
A new photo of Ariana Grande looking “dangerously thin” has sparked concerns among fans and doctors.
The singer has visibly lost weight in recent years, which is attributed to her vegan diet and the potential of Ozempic use.
But doctors said the photo, believed to have been taken in mid-December with fans at a screening of her film Wicked, indicated that Ms Grande had undergone a “drastic change” in recent months.
Dr. Sue Decotiis, a certified weight loss expert based in New York City, highlighted the star’s visible ribs and prominent collarbone.
She told DailyMail.com: ‘It looks like she has lost too much weight. It also looks like her eyes are bulging – which is a sign of a lot of weight loss and could also be a thyroid condition.”
She suggested that the star may be suffering from hypothyroidism, a condition in which the thyroid gland produces too little thyroid hormone, causing the body’s functions to slow down. Symptoms include nutritional problems and poor weight gain.
‘My biggest concern for her would be the loss of bone density. This can be accompanied by very low estrogen levels, missing periods, fertility problems and more,” says Dr. Decotiis.
Ms. Grande has been the subject of public speculation about her weight since her days on the children’s network Nickelodeon, but rumors that she has slimmed down to a dangerous degree increased dramatically during the press conference for Wicked.
Ariana Grande in 2020 compared to in December with fans. Fans and experts have said the new photo indicated Ms. Grande had undergone a “drastic change.”
She recently said, “I’ve heard every version of it, of what’s wrong with me, and then you fix it, and then it’s wrong for different reasons.”
Ms Grande has been inundated with messages on social media from fans and onlookers expressing concerns about her weight.
Others have speculated that she might be using Ozempic.
Fans have drawn attention to a recent series of photos taken with fans and her appearances at public events such as the Golden Globes, in which her ribs and shoulder bones were prominently featured.
Dr. Decotis said, “Her upper body is very thin and she looks childish.”
Many have commented on her chiselled cheekbones, noting that lately she has been looking skinny rather than contoured.
Experts say it’s common for an underweight person to have hollowed cheeks and a sharp jawline.
Many have also cited her vegan diet as a possible cause.
“The vegan diet in my mind – I’ve never put patients on a vegan diet,” Dr. Decotiis said.
‘It doesn’t have enough protein, and your body needs protein to produce the substances it needs to function.
“Not getting the right nutrients can negatively impact hormones, muscle mass, bone health, heart health and more.”
Ms Grande has been open about her struggle with post-traumatic stress disorder linked to a 2017 terror attack on the Manchester Arena in Britain.
The images above show Ariana Grande and her co-star Cynthia Erivo before Wicked
And again, after the production of the Wicked movie
She had just finished a concert when a bomb exploded at the venue, killing 22 people, including children.
She had long suffered from anxiety and said in the aftermath of the attack: ‘I’ve always had anxiety.
“I never really talked about it because I thought everyone had it, but when I got home from tour it was the worst I think it’s ever been.”
Low appetite is strongly associated with PTSD symptoms.
Dr. Decotiis said, “Some people use food in times of need as a way to calm them down. Conversely, some people – like Grande – may take the opposite approach.
‘Sometimes people with anxiety, PTSD or depression lose their appetite. In some cases, people feel so out of control of their lives that they use food as the only thing they have control over.”
The above image, posted online, shows Ariana Grande at a show in 2018 and again at the same show, also in a pink dress, in 2024
While militantly controlling what the body eats and drinks can provide some semblance of control over one’s life, it perpetuates negative beliefs about oneself, further contributing to a cycle of disordered eating and depression.
Ms. Grande has not publicly stated that she has struggled with eating disorders in the past, although she has called for less scrutiny of women’s bodies, including her own.
She said in November on the Las Culturistas podcast about research and guesswork surrounding her health: They tell me I have a lot of things. . . You’re actually invasive, scary and triggering. Just wrong and loud and unhealthy – that’s toxic.”