“I think it was probably one of the worst things I’ve ever done for myself,” the 29-year-old actress reflected

NEED TO KNOW

• Gracie McGraw — daughter of country stars Tim McGraw and Faith Hill — revealed she took Ozempic for three years to manage PMOS symptoms but regrets its impact on her health
• She shared how societal pressure and comparisons to famous family members fueled her struggles with body image and eating disorders
• The 29-year-old actress encouraged empathy in conversations about body image and assured fans she is doing well despite occasional challenges

Gracie McGraw is detailing “one of the worst things” she’s ever done for herself.

On Monday, Aug. 3, the 29-year-old eldest daughter of country stars Tim McGraw and Faith Hill shared a series of Instagram Stories discussing eating disorders and her struggle with body image.

She opened up about “skinny culture” and taking Ozempic for three years after being diagnosed with polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS) — formerly known as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).

“At that time I thought it was the best decision I ever made because I finally lost weight and got skinny,” she wrote of taking the GLP-1. “As soon as I started shedding a few pounds I noticed how people looked at me differently on the streets, in my friend groups and family, and in my own job. I got more opportunities when I lost weight than I ever have had in my life.”

Gracie admitted that even with the newfound attention, she still struggled with body image due to the years-long body shaming she had experienced. She said it was even more difficult being compared to her famous parents and younger sisters, Maggie and Audrey.

“I’ve been called fat and ugly my entire life, whether that had been from magazines or the internet, constantly saying I must have different genes than my sisters and parents because I was the ‘fat’ one and didn’t have the looks that my family has,” she said.

The actress and singer said that looking back at photos of herself when she was taking Ozempic, she realized “I was way too skinny,” even though she thought she should lose more weight at the time. During that time, she said, GLP-1s “blew up” in popularity.

“All of a sudden skinny culture is back and I realized holy crap I have been feeding into my eating disorder this whole time under the guise of this miracle shot. I think it was probably one of the worst things I’ve ever done for myself, looking back,” she said. “Because now as everyone is getting smaller and smaller, I am gaining my weight back and seeing how much losing all of that weight actually affected me and my views of myself.”

“My internal system is forever changed since taking the meds,” she continued. “Yes, it f—ing worked and made my pcos symptoms easier to control, but it also brought back my ED and negative views on my body.”

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Gracie then pointed to the ongoing discourse about celebrities and body image issues. She explained that there is a difference between body shaming and being concerned about someone’s health.

“Having concern for someone doesn’t also mean you can’t have empathy for their situation,” she wrote. “But, telling people to not speak on this is incredibly wrong and damaging. It’s promoting created thinness as [a] goal not as danger. We are at a time when we need to be taking care of ourselves and our people.”

“If you know someone who is struggling or if you are, please never feel embarrassed to reach out to anyone,” she added. “We are here for each other.” 

Gracie ended her post by assuring her followers that she is “doing so good now.” She admitted that she has “slip ups from time to time” when it comes to body image, but she wanted to speak out because she’s passionate about it.

If you or someone you know is struggling with an eating disorder, The Alliance for Eating Disorders provides a fully-staffed helpline at 1-866-662-1235, as well as free, therapist-led support groups.

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