Neither dazzling nor spectacular nor 'eternally' young. Impressive? Maybe perhaps that, because, indeed, it was quite impressive to see her walk with that extreme fragility that made one fear that, at any moment, she could collapse and break into a thousand pieces. Knowing that giving opinions about other people's bodies is wrong, Demi Moore's last two public appearances, at the Gucci fashion show and the 2026 Actors Awards, have only confirmed a terrifying regression to that unhealthy thinness revered in the 90s of the last century and early 2000s as the ultimate expression of female beauty and elegance. They say that Ozempic is to blame for everything, that the darn injection has brought back that unsettling 'heroin chic' embodied like no other by Kate Moss, but the truth is that, one way or another, the epidemic is back, and the worst part is that I am afraid that the media are once again complicit in its spread by showering praises on something that, in reality, is terrifying and very sad.
No matter how much we insist on titling with grandiloquent adjectives, Demi Moore has not looked dazzling or spectacular at the recent events she has attended, and far from it, she is not incredibly young for the 63 years she turned last November 11. And let it be clear that this is not against the actress; far from it. It is more of a self-criticism, not only because what she needs is help and not false compliments, but because we should be more aware of the responsibility we have in spreading messages that only fuel eating disorders.
Aging is not easy, especially in a society like ours, obsessed with (cloned) beauty and youth. The advances in aesthetic medicine, filters, and 'touch-ups' may lift cheekbones and tighten the skin, but in this quest for longevity that has us all obsessed, there is something infinitely more relevant than a glamorous pose: health.
No matter how much they try to sell us the idea, aging well is not about reaching 70 with a smooth face like a 20-year-old. Aging well is not about stopping eating to fit into a size 34 (or 32). Aging well is not about having great hair or a 'Colgate smile.' Nor is it about continuing to live enslaved by what others may say and the constant pursuit of popular acceptance. This is not about waiting for someone to shower us with "how great you look!" (preferably without the addition of "for your age").
Aging well is, cliché as it may sound, loving oneself well. Stop punishing oneself. Worship our body; take care of it so that it allows us to keep doing what we love. Stop beating ourselves up with extreme diets to maintain the figure of a teenager. Eat healthily, but without making life bitter by counting calories. Sculpt our muscles in the gym to look good, but, above all, to help us move confidently in our daily lives and protect our bones when osteoporosis looms. It's being able to bend down to pick something up from the floor without our knees cracking or our back freezing up!
So let's finally stop qualifying as dazzling what borders on the unhealthy, free ourselves once and for all from the ghostly tyranny of 'heroin chic,' and enjoy more the healthy 'aging' that, as we reach a certain age, the Mediterranean diet offers some of us; if we're going to worship, it's better to do it to Monica Bellucci's curves. And, while we're at it, let's stop 'showing off' animals as part of our red carpet outfits, as they suffer terribly and are not to blame for our eccentricities.