For far too long, we have allowed our social media feeds to make us feel bad about our bodies and pressure us into buying products we truly don’t need.
Bombarded with digitally-enhanced images projecting unattainable and unhealthy standards, it is no wonder 67% of students participating in the Healthy Bodies Study reported dissatisfaction with their weight. The Body Positive Movement is about combating this negative cycle and encouraging people to love their bodies as they are.
When we fill our feeds with a diverse group of people, it helps reinforce the idea that humans aren’t meant to fit into one mold and that we can all feel comfortable in our own skin. If you are ready to break the body shaming cycle, here are ten Instagram accounts you should check out!
Jessamyn Stanley
Jessamyn is a yoga instructor based in Durham, North Carolina, whose classes focus on body positivity and asking the question “How do I feel?” instead of “How do I look?”
She identifies as “fat femme,” and incorporates her queer identity into her Instagram posts. As a woman of color, she also makes a note to disband the stereotype that modern yoga is for a certain type of person (namely thin, white women).
Megan Crabbe
Megan Crabbe, a 24-year-old, pastel-loving woman from the United Kingdom started her Instagram account three years ago, since her life was transformed after discovering the Body Positive community.
Earlier on in life, she struggled with anorexia, and now being on the other side of it, spends her time encouraging others to love their bodies exactly the way they are.
Troy Soloman
“Bear” is a term used in the LGBTQ community to commonly mean “a man who has facial / body hair and a cuddly body.” A resident of West Hollywood, Troy is a style blogger encouraging body positivity for everyone, especially for Bears like himself.
He is killing the selfie game and uses that to unapologetically show who he is while encouraging others to do the same online and in real life.
The Every Body Project
The Every Body Project is a style blog run by Shanthony Exum, also known as Miss Eaves, who is currently best known for her music video published this summer “Thunder Thighs.” The Instagram project aims to “combat the body image issues that arise from the media’s narrow portrayal of beauty.”
I interpret this account as a mixture of street style, Humans of New York-type interviews, and a representation of people of all shapes, sizes, and lifestyles.
Née Cacsmy Brutus
Née Cacsmy Brutus, also known as Mama Cāx, is a Haitian-American disabilities advocate. She aims to question the mainstream view of disabilities and start conversations about what inclusive body positivity looks like.
She is also an Alleles ambassador which is a design company working to end the stigma against prosthetics with their stylish products.
Shay Neary
Shay Neary is a transgender, plus-size model based in Brooklyn, New York, who identifies as a “proud body positive feminist, story telling speaker, trans-rights activist, and a guru in the routes of self-love.”
Most know Shay from her feature as the first plus-size, transgender model to land a major fashion campaign with Yours Clothing, and she is continuing to make a positive impact in the industry.
Gabi Gregg
Gabi Gregg is the co-founder of and a designer for Premme, a plus-size clothing company with the goal of providing bold, fashion-forward pieces for people of all sizes.
Her Instagram account features a variety of selfies, oozing with healthy self-love as well as shout outs for fellow body positive advocates. She hopes to “inspire others to take risks and have fun with clothing regardless of their size.”
Eff Your Beauty Standards
Eff Your Beauty Standards was created by Tess Holiday who is a well known plus-size model and feminist. The Instagram account aims to share body positive posts from around the globe.
Since the basis of this account is sharing various pictures under the hashtag #effyourbeautystandards, the feed is always features a diverse group of individuals living their lives and loving their bodies.
Matt Diaz
Based in Minnesota, Matt Diaz who combines body positivity with his weight loss journey.
In regards to sharing his experience, he said on an Instagram post in July 2017, “I’ve spent too much time making a villain of the person I used to be. . . I’ve made the decision to love everything I am, everything I’ve been and everything I will be; that is what true self love is about.”
Many posts go into his personal process of self-love and the fact that it is an ongoing process for everyone rather than a finish line to cross.
Conclusion
From personal experience, I can testify to how much your self-esteem can lift after filling your social media feeds with a diverse group of people, especially those activity spreading the body positivity message!
It’s all about putting human bodies as a whole into perspective and understanding it’s perfectly normal that you don’t look like the actors, actresses, and models you see in mainstream media. There is no one out there who looks quite like you, and that is something to be proud of.