Hilary Duff Shares Simple Yet Powerful Mantra Amid Worrying Weight Loss Trends—And Fans Are Applauding

Content Warning: Body-Shaming, Weight-Shaming, Body Image Issues, Eating Disorders, Skinny Trends

Millennials who saw Cheaper by the Dozen, The Perfect Man, and A Cinderella Story have always known that Hilary Duff was that girl.

Duff always played characters that, while they might be pressured to fit a certain mold, always eventually fought for their individuality, in the sense of who they were, the clothes they wore, and the body they were in.

That was just as true of Hilary Duff in her real life, when she was a teen and still now in her thirties.

While walking the red carpet at the TIME 100 Gala last week, the Lizzie McGuire star opened up about the returning trend she's witnessing in Hollywood of skinny and thin being celebrated, just like when she was growing up.

Duff said:

"I obviously, you know, grew up during that time where all of us were trying to, like, disappear and be waifs, and that’s not natural for my body, and, you know, for most of our bodies."

"Especially as we endure, like, the hormonal changes or motherhood and pregnancy, and all of those amazing things that make us women, right?"

"So ‘stronger not smaller’ is a huge, impactful statement that resonates with me."

"I am strong, and I do have muscles, and I’ve always been a gymnast."

"I used to be embarrassed of, like, my strength, and I just don’t need to be anymore."

You can watch the video here:

Some TikTokers applauded Duff and pointed out that she'd always practiced what she preached.

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Others shared their favorite moments from Duff's commentary.

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Over on Instagram, the video went similarly viral.

Instagrammers celebrated Duff as one of their favorite role models from her generation.

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Duff previously opened up on Jay Shetty's podcast about the pressures to be "skinny" and how she struggled to stay true to herself, making it more important to her than ever before to advocate for others going through the same.

Duff reflected:

“When I was a teenager, I was pretty confident. But also mixed with the insecurities of your teenhood and your early 20s."

"Then on top of it, I was dealing with people commenting on my body at a young age and starting to get photographed, and people asking you how many times you weigh yourself, or comparing you to people that were thinner than you or other girls in your line of work.”

Duff is a loud advocate for self-love, individuality, strength, and health over conforming to a specific aesthetic and number on the scale, not just because she believes in these things, but because she's experienced the pressure herself.

While we all have an idea in our minds of what we would like our bodies to look like, what number we want to see on the scale, and what style of clothes we want to wear, we have to find a way to honor those goals while prioritizing our health even more.