The Implications of ‘Midsize’ Talk on TikTok Are Complicated—Here’s What To Consider

In February, journalist Virginia Sole-Smith wrote an insightful newsletter about the “midsize” trend (and the problems that come with it). If you haven’t heard, many TikTokers are posting about having “midsize” bodies, or bodies that are between “straight-size” and “plus-size.” The hashtag #midsize has over 4.5 billion views, so it’s certainly being talked about a lot.

It’s a hot-button topic, too. The ultimate problem: Who is “allowed” to consider themselves “midsize”? As Sole-Smith writes, many creators are claiming the label just because they aren’t a size 2, and they refuse to hear criticism from people who live in larger bodies about the harm.

Before we dive in, it’s important to note this is a complicated topic. “Not every fat person thinks alike, of course,” wrote Sole-Smith in her new book, Fat Talk: Parenting in the Age of Diet Culture. “We each bring our own context, our own set of privileges or other intersecting identities, and our own unique experiences of our bodies and the world’s treatment of those bodies.”

Keeping that in mind, here’s what different experts and self-described midsize people have to say about this controversial label.