A fitness trainer has gone viral after sharing her weight online—prompting a wave of backlash from men who accused her of being dishonest.
Hannah Barry (@hannahbarryuk), 28, from London, in the U.K., posted a candid video revealing that she is 5 feet, 10 inches tall and weighs 85 kilograms [187 pounds], which fluctuates from 83 kilograms [183 pounds]. She said that, by body mass index (BMI) standards, she is classified as obese—despite being visibly muscular and physically fit. The goal of her post was to remind women not to obsess over the number on the scale, but instead to focus on getting stronger and healthier. The video has since garnered more than 5.4 million views and almost 100,000 likes.
“So, the video … the reason that I talk so much about weight is surely because growing up taller, you’re always going to weigh more. There’s always going to be a huge pressure from society for women to be smaller and shrink themselves,” Barry told Newsweek.
She said that she grew up immersed in magazine culture, which often harshly critiqued women’s bodies and pushed the narrative that smaller was better.
@hannahbarryuk/@hannahbarryuk
“When you change your mindset from wanting to be as small as possible to just accepting our bodies are different being a little bit taller, it’s a massive thing,; if you are lifting weights, muscle and fat weigh exactly the same, but muscle is a denser tissue than fat.
“I think it’s reprogramming your brain to accept your smallest might not be your happiest; the weight you think you should be might not be the weight you should be,” she said.
Barry also called out BMI as an outdated and misleading tool, recalling her own experience with an eating disorder.
She said that, even at her most unwell, her BMI was in the “healthy” range, highlighting how the index fails to consider where fat is distributed or how much muscle a person carries.
“I think it’s a very outdated system,” Barry said.
The video sparked a strong reaction, with many male viewers accusing Barry of lying about her weight—something she says reflects distorted public perceptions.
“I’ve had thousands of comments and messages from men, that have been telling me I’m lying; there’s no reason to lie. It is a bit frustrating; just use your common sense. It shows how skewed people’s ideas are when it comes to perceptions on weight,” she added.
However, Barry said she is thankful the viral reaction has helped her reach a great audience of women.
Expert Insight
Dr. Bronwyn Mahtani, M.D., a board-certified physician specializing in metabolic health and functional medicine at Eden, affirmed Barry’s criticisms of BMI with Newsweek.
“BMI was originally developed as a population-level tool not for evaluating individual health. It was created by Adolphe Quetelet in the 19th century as a statistical measure, and while it can highlight trends across large groups, it’s a poor predictor of individual health outcomes,” Mahtani said.
She noted that one of the major limitations of BMI is its inability to distinguish between fat mass and lean muscle mass. For example, a highly trained athlete and a sedentary person might share the same BMI, but have vastly different health profiles.
Mahtani said this is why many women who strength-train are labeled “overweight” or “obese” by BMI standards, despite being metabolically healthy. In clinical practice, she added, health assessments should take into account factors such as body composition, insulin sensitivity, inflammatory markers, hormonal balance, and functional capacity—rather than relying on a single number.
Mahtani also addressed the gendered backlash Barry faced, pointing out that women’s bodies have long been scrutinized through outdated and overly simplistic standards.
“Transparency like this is powerful because it helps dismantle the myths and remind people that health isn’t a size; it’s a spectrum of functional, emotional, and physical well-being,” she concluded.
Instagram Reacts
Barry’s message resonated with thousands online, especially among women who saw themselves in her story.
“OMG [oh my God]. Thank you!!! I am so grateful that I came across this reel,” shared one user.
“How can people be gaslighting you that your not 85 kg, like I KNOW WHAT I WEIGH WT,” wrote another, named Emily.
“174 cm and 95 kg over here. Density of muscle mass is super underrated,” a third user added.
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