Updated October 26, 2026, 8:15 a.m. ET
Are you stressed about your Halloween costume and what you might look like? You are not alone.
In recent years, corset-based costumes have grown in popularity, adding spice to Disney princesses, Fancy Nancy or a vampire look. With this, the focus has been on “ripped” sizes, prioritizing how thin and how your body looks in Instagram photoshoots rather than how you look like the character himself. In the weeks leading up to Halloween, social media was flooded with posts promoting what mental health experts called the “Halloween body.”
During an at-home workout video, one user wrote, “Me all October because my friends chose the skimpiest Halloween costume ever.”
“What happened to Skinny before Halloween?” ” another joked about breaking her “diet.”
The rhetoric, while sometimes humorous, draws on diet culture, and experts warn that the pressure to fit idealized beauty standards for Halloween can lead to potentially dangerous results.
“It can be a gateway to tackling an eating disorder,” cautioned Sarah Callazzo, a licensed social worker and founder of the eating disorder helpline Love, A Stranger. People may focus on an event like Halloween when engaging in eating disorder-related behaviors, such as restricting or bingeing and purging, and use the holiday as an excuse to ignore their concerns.
“It’s like, ‘Oh, it’s okay. I’m just going to do this for Halloween and then I’m going to stop,'” Callazzo said. “But there’s always something else you’re doing it for.”
How Social Media Promotes Unhealthy Beauty Standards During Halloween
Feeling confident in your Halloween costume is only half the battle, especially for younger generations who place more emphasis on getting the perfect photo.
“It’s a never-ending cycle of disappointment,” Callazzo said.
She described a scenario: You spend the weeks leading up to Halloween hating your body, feeling angry at yourself for not looking like the influencers on your TikTok feed or the photos that line the Halloween store shelves. But eventually you get to the point where you accept what you see in the mirror. You go to the Halloween party and don’t spend all your time comparing yourself to others.
Then, when all your friends are preparing their photos for Instagram, you can’t find the one you want to post.
“Not having that photo at the end of the day, especially with this (younger) generation, can rob you of all the fun you’re having. If it’s not posted on social media, did it really happen?” Callazzo said.
Some social media creators are fighting the “Halloween body” mentality.
Kaitlin Hon, a fashion influencer with 2 million followers, shared a video in 2025 calling out the “fatphobia” she faces throughout the Halloween season.
“No matter what I wear, people won’t like it just because I don’t have an hourglass figure,” Hon said. “I’m very proud of the things I create and I wish there was more focus on that rather than my body.”
While dressing up for a Renaissance fair on Oct. 6, Noelle Downing issued a PSA to her 222,000 TikTok followers: “You don’t have to be skinny to be hot…(or) to wear the costume.”
How to Ask for Help During This Spooky Season
It’s not just college-aged women or one body type who are affected by diet culture: all genders, body types, and age groups can feel the pressure of the “Halloween body.”
Callazzo encouraged those who are comfortable speaking to steer conversations away from body image, such as saying, “Hey, that seemed weird to me” or “Let’s not talk about our bodies tonight.”
It’s also okay to walk away from the conversation altogether, she noted.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed, she recommends reaching out to a helpline (such as Love, A Stranger) or a licensed mental health professional who can help you manage any disordered eating behaviors or thoughts that arise during spooky season.
“There’s a lot of pressure on Halloween, but you deserve to have fun. I don’t want your eating disorder prescription to take that away from you,” she said.
Readers seeking help can contact the National Alliance for Eating Disorders Helpline at 1-866-662-1235 (www.allianceforeatingdisorders.com). For people experiencing a mental health crisis, Crisis Text Line can be reached by texting “ALLIANCE” to 741741.
Love, A Stranger provides free, human-led eating disorder support via call and text. Individuals can connect with a trained volunteer at (601) 348-5683 (LOVE) or visit loveastranger.org. Please note, the organization does not constitute a crisis line nor a substitute for professional treatment.
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