In case you haven’t heard, Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi has reached her weight goal of 98 pounds. Not everyone loves Jersey Shore‘s pickle-loving, pouf-haired, furry boot-wearing guidette, but I’ve always had a fondness for her. However, regardless of my bias, I am worried about Snook’s recent weight drop because of what it means for her, as well as what it means for the girls who see her in the media. 

For a girl of 4’9″, this might sound like a reasonable weight, but I’m concerned about how Snooki reached her goal. While she’s mentioned that she’s replaced “thirsty Thursdays” with time at the gym, the majority of Snooki’s weight loss can be credited to the diet pill Zantrex. Snooki isn’t the first face of Zantrex, and she won’t be the last, but the bigger the headlines around a diet pill, the smaller the girls will let themselves become without a healthy route or role model. 


Many say that Snooki shouldn’t be seen as a role model, but no one can deny the impact she has. Because role models aren’t inherently positive or negative, when Snooki speaks in favor of a fat-burning drug, she makes it OK for other girls to use it, in hopes of similar results. Girls are bound to have unhealthy perceptions of their bodies because of other media pressures, but the worst thing we can do is to provide them with even more unhealthy avenues to “achieve” these impossible expectations. 

I wish that Snooki was on the cover of Women’s Health revealing a body she is proud of because she gained it through a healthy lifestyle. The celebration around Snook’s slim figure condones diet pills, excessive drinking and even disordered eating as a viable option for thin results. A former cheerleader, Snooki has been open about her struggle with anorexia while in high school. She admitted to dropping to a mere 80 pounds at one point, but recognized that it was scary and dangerous.

Since reaching her weight goal, Snooki announced that she wants to reward herself with breast implants, as inspired by co-star JWOWW’s chest. I have personally always envied Snooki’s natural curves. If she decides to go ahead with the surgery, I really hope she does it for herself and that she finally finds the beauty in her body that I’ve known all along.


Ultimately, I’m feeling pretty conflicted. Snooki looks really happy with her body, and there isn’t anything greater. On the other hand, I worry how long she can sustain this weight loss — or body peace — without making major changes to her lifestyle. I can only hope that she has supportive people in her life who help her make healthy, educated choices about her body and what she puts in it.

What do you think about Snooki’s new body? Do you think I’m overreacting? Do you think she should go ahead with the breast implants?