OPINION: The Met Gala has always been problematic. But this year it's set to stoop to a new low.

This article deals with disordered eating and could be triggering for some readers.

The Met Gala is almost upon us, an event teeming with celebrities and swanky society folk.

It's dubbed as "fashion's biggest night out", influencing the trends we will eventually see at the shopping centre and deciding which people will appear on catwalks and magazine covers for the year ahead. 

But despite all the beautiful clothes, the pomp and the pageantry, I can't shake off the feelings of dread I have about next week's Met Gala.

Watch: body shapes are not trends. Post continues below. 

Will it be just like the Oscars this year, where the word on everyone's lips was 'Ozempic'?

The cold hard truth is that it's likely the same culture will permeate the Met Gala — and trickle down to the masses.

Who could forget Jameela Jamil's sobering words during the last Oscars season? 

"The images last. But the methods aren't sustainable, nor are they normally sustained, until the next awards season! Where again the images of ageless, weightless women are used as a tool of aspiration," she wrote. 

"It is an industry pressure and a result of f**king TINY samples from designers that are straight off the runway from fashion month, that result in such a forced uniform thinness, and fear of wrinkles."

As Jamil noted, discussions like these aren't about 'throwing s**t' on the individual people themselves. Rather it's a critique of the world in which these people exist, and how that culture impacts the standards that dictate us all. 

"I just don't want you to be triggered, or to make any sudden decisions, because of the images of impossible standards that come out today. Very rarely is it unrestrictive and healthy," Jamil said in an Instagram post. 

It's not like the projection of often unattainable thinness is a new thing in Hollywood either, given we live in a society that for centuries has made women's bodies into commodities and 'trends'.

But right now, it feels even more visible than it has for years.

We've seen statements from public figures declaring the extreme lengths they will go to just to fit into a dress. We've seen the endless promotion of dangerous food habits.

And we will likely see all of these things again in a week's time for the Met Gala. 

It would also be remiss not to mention the theme of this year's Met Gala as well: 'Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty.'  

The event will pay tribute to the longtime creative director of Chanel following his passing in 2019. While his contributions to the fashion industry are prolific, Lagerfeld had a complicated legacy.

Specifically, when it came to doubling down on comments which disparaged fat people — often making a mockery of women in bigger bodies. 

He was among some fashion designers who actively and publicly defended the practice of hiring exclusively rail-thin models to walk in shows and pose for campaigns. As he said: "No one wants to see curvy women."

"You've got fat mothers with their bags of chips sitting in front of the television and saying that thin models are ugly. The world of beautiful clothing is about 'dreams and illusions'," he claimed in the same interview, essentially ostracising anyone whose body didn't fit the industry's unrealistic expectations. 

And who could forget the book The World According to Karl — a collection of Lagerfeld's own words — where he said: "I think that for both women and men, fashion is the healthiest motivation for losing weight."

With this in mind, it feels uncomfortable to see Lagerfeld be touted as inspiration in 2023 — because what constitutes his 'Line of Beauty' certainly doesn't represent the vast majority. Nor is it attainable.

Ultimately, there will be millions of eyeballs on the Met Gala.

For some, they may roll their eyes at what they see on the carpet. They will know that we as individuals shouldn't feel the need to compare ourselves to others who live in different bodies. And they will realise the sheer lack of body diversity on display at the Met Gala doesn't represent them, given sizes 14-16 are the average size of the Australian woman. 

But for those who have lived experience of disordered eating, body dysmorphia, fatphobia, or anything within this realm, the stakes feel so much higher.

For help and support for eating disorders, contact the Butterfly Foundation's National Support line and online service on 1800 ED HOPE (1800 33 4673).

Feature Image: Getty/Mamamia.