“We’re In The ‘Ozempic Era

Some things really do have to be seen to be understood.

We are in the middle of the “ Ozempic era ,” according to Hunter McGrady , a plus-size supermodel and a 31-year-old mother of two who has become the cover model for the 2024 anniversary edition of Sports Illustrated Magazine alongside 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.”

For Swimsuit Magazine , McGrady’s weight is 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.

“What Sports Illustrated is 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?