Dance Moms alum Paige Hyland has issued a powerful reminder about the harms of discussing people’s bodies in public forums. Her message is directed at the keyboard warriors who think it’s acceptable to engage in such behavior.
“Join me as I get ready and let’s discuss why commenting on someone’s body is never appropriate,” Hyland, now 25, began in a video she shared on Saturday, July 25, via Instagram. “It’s 2026, and I assumed this was common knowledge, but perhaps a refresher is in order.”
Recently, Hyland posted bikini photos on Instagram, which sparked a wave of negative remarks concerning how slim she appeared. These comments poured in relentlessly.
“The feedback I received was beyond harsh,” she recounted. “Numerous individuals accused me of looking anorexic, promoting unhealthy eating habits, and claimed that as an influencer, it’s inappropriate for me to endorse such things.” Hyland insisted, “As someone with influence, I feel it’s crucial to stand up for individuals with naturally slim physiques like mine.”
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According to Hyland, she’s “been tiny” her entire life without intentionally trying to slim down.
“In fact, I go to the gym to try and build muscle,” she said. “Losing weight has never been a goal of mine. … I’ve never came out and said [I’ve had an eating disorder] because I’ve never had one, which I’m extremely grateful for.”
Hyland added, “If I did have an eating disorder, imagine reading comments from thousands of people picking apart my body and diagnosing me when they have no idea what’s going on? That is not concern, that is public body-shaming disguised as concern, which is not cute.”
Hyland further stated that individuals are “never entitled” to comment on someone else’s physique simply “because you think you’re helping.”
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“Truth is, you have no idea what someone’s going through,” Hyland acknowledged. “Someone could be recovering from an eating disorder, they could have a medical condition, they could be grieving or they could just be naturally thin like me. You truly have no idea.”
Hyland, for her part, noted that she “never” followed a strict diet or restricted her intake of sweets or carbohydrates.
“I eat everything, my body just naturally looks like this. While I’m confident in myself, I know there’s other girls who probably look like me that are reading the comments on my picture thinking there’s something wrong with their bodies,” the reality TV alum said. “That genuinely makes me sick to my stomach. Just like it’s wrong for shaming someone for being bigger, it’s also wrong for shaming them for being smaller.”
Hyland concluded, “Body positivity has to include all bodies or else it’s not ‘body positivity.’ So before you go to comment on someone’s weight, whether it’s, ‘You look too skinny,’ ‘Eat a burger,’ whatever it is, just don’t. Instead, maybe comment about their smile or tell them that you like their outfit. There’s so many other things you can do besides commenting on someone’s body.”
If you or someone you know struggles with an eating disorder, visit the National Alliance for Eating Disorders website or call their hotline at (866) 662-1235. Text “ALLIANCE” to 741741 for free, 24/7 support.