We are in themiddleof the “Ozempic era,” according toHunter McGrady, aplus-size supermodeland a 31-year-old mother of two who has become the cover model for the 2024 anniversary edition ofSports Illustrated Magazinealongside Chrissy Teigen, Kate Upton, and Gayle King,

“I’m just proud. I’m proud to be a part of SI Swimsuit,” McGrady says of her tenure with the franchise.

“I’m proud of the company as a whole, I’m proud of the imprint that they’ve made on society and they continue to make, and that would genuinely be my all-encompassing word: proud.”

For McGrady, the work she does for the publication is not only about beauty but also about fighting against an industry that promotes self-hatred as a way to monetize people’s insecurities.

“The more you hate yourself, the more that you find things to nitpick, the more money people are making off you,” she explained.

“Everyone’s saying, ‘Look different. Be different. Wear this. Cover up this way. Drink this and you’ll be thinner.’ I call it the bullsh** meter.”

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Plus-sizeSports Illustratedmodel Hunter McGrady believes we’re in the middle of the “Ozempic era” as a result of self-hatred toward our bodies

“We’re In The ‘Ozempic Era’": Plus-Size Model Calls For Self-Acceptance After Joining SI Cover

Image credits:huntermcgrady

ForSwimsuit Magazine, McGrady’sweightis an asset, and she has been encouraged to keep her body as it is, even in an environment where being skinny has not only been promoted but expected.

“WhatSports Illustratedis doing — celebrating all bodies –—is so powerful. They’re doing the work. Especially right now when we’re entering this weird era, an Ozempic era, and just celebrating thinness,” she stated.

But what is the “Ozempic era” exactly?

“We’re In The ‘Ozempic Era’": Plus-Size Model Calls For Self-Acceptance After Joining SI Cover

It refers to the ever-growing demand for a “miracle cure” to one of the modern era’s most prevalent health issues:obesity.

According to the World Health Organization, worldwide adult obesity hasmore than doubledsince 1990, and adolescent obesity has quadrupled.

“We’re In The ‘Ozempic Era’": Plus-Size Model Calls For Self-Acceptance After Joining SI Cover

Image credits:sportsillustrated

“We’re In The ‘Ozempic Era’": Plus-Size Model Calls For Self-Acceptance After Joining SI Cover

“We’re In The ‘Ozempic Era’": Plus-Size Model Calls For Self-Acceptance After Joining SI Cover

Theeffectivenessof the treatment has turned it into a pop culture phenomenon aftercelebritiessuch as Elon Musk, Amy Schumer, and Oprah Winfrey have confessed to having used it at one point or another.

“Hating your body — and I have to be careful with saying this — but that’s the biggest money-maker,”explainedMcGrady, believing that the prevalence of the drug stems more from self-esteem issues than proper health concerns.

The model is not far off the mark, as in 2023,Ozempicprescriptions surpassed 9 million, leading to shortages that impacted the recipients the peptide was designed for in the first place, type 2 diabetics.

“We’re In The ‘Ozempic Era’": Plus-Size Model Calls For Self-Acceptance After Joining SI Cover

“We’re In The ‘Ozempic Era’": Plus-Size Model Calls For Self-Acceptance After Joining SI Cover

“We’re In The ‘Ozempic Era’": Plus-Size Model Calls For Self-Acceptance After Joining SI Cover

“We’re In The ‘Ozempic Era’": Plus-Size Model Calls For Self-Acceptance After Joining SI Cover

“We’re In The ‘Ozempic Era’": Plus-Size Model Calls For Self-Acceptance After Joining SI Cover

“We’re In The ‘Ozempic Era’": Plus-Size Model Calls For Self-Acceptance After Joining SI Cover

“We’re In The ‘Ozempic Era’": Plus-Size Model Calls For Self-Acceptance After Joining SI Cover

“We’re In The ‘Ozempic Era’": Plus-Size Model Calls For Self-Acceptance After Joining SI Cover

“We’re In The ‘Ozempic Era’": Plus-Size Model Calls For Self-Acceptance After Joining SI Cover

“We’re In The ‘Ozempic Era’": Plus-Size Model Calls For Self-Acceptance After Joining SI Cover

“We’re In The ‘Ozempic Era’": Plus-Size Model Calls For Self-Acceptance After Joining SI Cover

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