Since we’ve been born, all of the media around us has pushed one body type on us – able bodied, white, low body fat. It’s impossible to avoid. I’ve spoken before about how representation matters and that’s one of the great things about social media. We now have the opportunity to fill our social feeds with body types that were previously not shown in mainstream media.
The more you see different body types, and indeed, bodies like your own, in a positive light, then the more you will learn to love your own body. It’s so much easier to see the positive on someone else’s body, and harder to see it in yourself. If you see someone your size loving their body and owning their look and their life, then the more you can start to see that for yourself. And I can’t remember who said it (but they were so right), in a world that tries to constantly tell you how you should be better (usually so a bunch of old white men can sell you the solution), truly loving yourself is one of the most radical acts of defiance you can take.
So today, as part of my ongoing body confidence series, I’m bringing you 15 body positive Instagram accounts that I think you should be following:
Body Posi Panda is absolutely top of my list and is a daily inspiration to me. Her book (affiliate link) is excellent. She writes intelligently but is accessible. I wish I had her wisdom when I was her age, hell I wish I did now. She has battled eating disorders and nearly died and now loves her body and has rejected diet culture in a really inspiring way. Her feed is unicorn colourful. Her don’t hate the shake videos where she rocks out in her underwear and celebrates any jiggles, gives me life. If you aren’t following her already then I feel sorry for you. Get on it.
Another young woman who is wise beyond her years is Chidera from the Slum Flower who is fiercely empowered and leads the worthwhile movement ‘saggy boobs matter’.
Taynee from Grrl Gang Art makes the most beautiful body positive and feminist art. I own a couple of her pieces and am always after more.
Body positivity is celebrating your body in its natural form, loving yourself as you are. A big part of that for me personally is not conforming to societal ideals of hair removal purely because you’ve been conditioned by it to find your natural body hair gross. Pit Angels shows off hairy pitted babes and seeing all these beautiful pit kittens helps me to find my hairiness beautiful too.
Likewise, Happy and Hairy is a breath of fresh air. We really need to take some time to look at her and accept that hair isn’t gross on women and attractive on men, that it’s truly ok for men or women to own their natural hair. Hairier women shouldn’t essentially have to be taxed (emotional, time, money and pain) for being more hairy than the beauty myth wants them to be.
fat and hairy women can rock bikinis too! ? the last time i was in hawaii was in 2012, when i wore a one-piece swimsuit for the first time in my adult life (i was 27 years old). i had developed a lot of confidence about my fat body, but not my hairiness. back then i loved the idea of wearing a bikini, but truly felt it wasn’t for me. my perspective has changed in those six years, and here i am in my fat and hairy glory! ? i am beautiful and i deserve to wear whatever the hell i want to. and you do too ❤️ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ • #bodyhairdontcare #bodyhair #bodyhairlove #hairywoman #hairywomen #hirsutism #hirsute #bodyhairisbeautiful #hairy #bodyhairloveaffair #normalizebodyhair #notyourfetish #notyournovelty #effyourbeautystandards #pcos #pcossupportandpositivity #bodyhairpositive #bodyhairpositivity #bodylove #bodyacceptance #bodyhairacceptance #bodyconfidence #fatkini #torridswim #eloquii #XOQ
Saggy Sara is a 21 year old Finnish woman. She has a more slim body but I love her Instagram versus reality shots.
Following seeing a post in the media outlining what each Kardashian weighed, actress Jameela Jamil set up the account ‘I weigh’ to celebrate women’s achievements other than what the scales say.
Erika Hart is a cancer survivor and sex educator who proudly shows off her mastectomy scars. She’s a fierce knowledgeable intersectional feminist and I learn a lot from listening to her perspectives.
Nourish and Eat promotes body acceptance with wise quotes, memes and advice that rejects diet culture.
Nat from Style Me Sunday is gorgeous, stylish and shows off parts of her body that the mainstream media might not but the rest of us can clearly see the beauty. Her Friday Finger posts are feisty and fun too. Dreamy feed, fab attitude.
Love Disfigure is a child burn survivor and showcases ‘non-conforming’ bodies, especially those with scarring and skin conditions.
The Feeding of the Fox is an inspiring disabled woman’s journey through weight-loss, eating disorders into radical body politics and non judgmental compassion.
Dana from the Do the Hotpants has a feed full of diversity and body acceptance. It’s a great feed to just go to and learn.
If any picture says a thousand words, it’s this image from @nunude_official campaign ? • With privilege comes responsibility. And specifically with thin privilege, it’s not just about supporting fat and curvy women by having their backs online… It’s about discussing fatphobia with friends who are body shaming someone when they’re not in the room. It’s about calling in family members making comments about someone’s body at the dinner table. It’s about asking why there’s no plus sizes at your favorite clothing store. It’s about telling your gym to remove fatphobic signage next to your favorite machine. It’s about speaking to HR when the host of your company’s annual weight loss competition asks you to sign up. It’s about using your privilege to speak up in spaces and situations that aren’t safe for certain bodies. • I know a lot of my followers have social anxiety or are very deep in their eating disorders and talking to people in person can feel terrifying. But there are non confrontational ways to stand up against the systemic oppression of fat people too! Does a tv show only cast thin people? Tweet at the producers! Does an app you use only feature stock photos of thin bodies? Email the developers! Does your subway system allow body shaming ads on the trains? Start an online signature campaign to fight it! Do you have extra income? Support the Pareons of those doing the work, or donate to causes and non profits working hard to make safe spaces for all bodies. • Let’s make it so we put the ideas we preach online into practice in the real world. Let’s make it so that women in all bodies know that those with the privileges they don’t have, are actually standing up for them once they leave the room. Let’s ACTUALLY have other women’s backs. Because you can follow all the accounts in the world, and it will help you to personally accept and see more marginalized bodies as beautiful, but to make systemic change, we must also go out into the real world and question the status quo.
Anti diet riot club is a relatively new account all about rejecting diet culture and they are holding what look to be some kick ass events in London. Also their logo is goals.
Last but certainly not least is Watch Shay Slay who describes herself as ‘One Whole Lot of Trans-Fat’.
Please go follow these wonderful women and fill your feeds full of diverse bodies of all colours, shapes and sizes. I’m always on the look out for new ‘bopo’ accounts so please leave your favourites in the comments for me to go follow. I had another 30 for this post but it was getting too long so if you gals like this post then let me know and I’ll do another in the future.
Disclaimer: This post contains an affiliate link, as always, it is clearly marked. If you buy anything through this link then you won’t pay any more but I will receive a small referral fee. Thank you.
Given the spectrum of human forms it’s always amazed me that the mainstream interpretation of beauty and perception of ‘the ideal’ is so narrow. Here’s to embracing individuality and diversity.
Exactly Stuart, thank you!
I’m all for a body positive insta! I like to post body positive posts on mine and as a plus sized woman I think it’s important to put myself out there to show to others that actually being fat, being overweight isn’t the worst thing you can be.
Hannah x
http://www.fabfatmama.com
Totally agree Hannah, I love your insta. Keep up the good work.
Suggestions: yourstruelymelly, sassylatte, shishi.rose, iamdaniadriana. Some of the people on this list are hardly body positive, downright bullies.
Also body positivity is not about feeling great about your own body. It’s political. It’s about visibility to the most marginalised.
Side note, yourstruelymelly invented dont hate the shake.
Who on the list isn’t body positive Stine? I wasn’t aware of anyone on the list who bullies, please can you give me examples and I’ll remove them.