If you’ve been keeping up with the culture this past year, you’ll know that “Riverdale” is one of the hottest drama shows on television. This CW show is loosely based off of the “Archie” comics, with additional elements of brooding mystery and captivating high school drama. Two of the show’s main stars, Camila Mendes and Lili Reinhart, have successfully broken onto the Hollywood scene, using their platforms to promote awareness for body positivity and eating disorders.
In recent months, Camila and Lili have been taking major steps to combat negativity against body image and dieting. By entering partnerships that support eating disorder recovery, the “Riverdale” stars’ emergence into the spotlight has proven to be nothing but enlightening and supportive as they work toward making a positive difference in the food world.
Camila Mendes
Camila Mendes, who plays it-girl Veronica Lodge on “Riverdale”, has recently opened up about the struggle of dealing with eating disorders in her own family. In a statement she posted on her Instagram, she wrote, “Growing up, I watched my big sister suffer from [an eating disorder] for many years, and I’ve experienced periods of my life when I’ve suffered symptoms as well.”
She continued on to announce her involvement in Project HEAL, an organization that works to break stigmas surrounding eating disorders. By participating in Project HEAL, Camila will be raising awareness for recovery from and ease of access for treatment of eating disorders among struggling individuals.
Lili Reinhart
Veronica’s BFF Betty Cooper is played by Camila’s real-life bestie, Lili Reinhart. In the caption of the Instagram post above, Lili revealed that she is teaming up with Aerie to encourage swimwear confidence. Women all over social media are challenged to share unretouched swimsuit photos under the hashtag #AerieREAL, which is the name of the campaign. For every post shared, Aerie donates $1 to the non-profit organization NEDA (National Eating Disorders Association) to support individuals who are suffering from eating disorders.
As Lili mentioned in her Instagram post, “The ‘ideal body’ is often presented to us as looking one particular way… but that’s a concept I hope to help change.”
It is evident that Camila and Lili are out to make a difference in the food and body positivity world and general culture today. Their efforts to aid people who are battling eating disorders and their encouragement of feeling at home in your own body has made a profound impact on society and will continue to help people achieve full confidence in themselves.