Body Positive Influencers
It’s no secret that social media can be detrimental to your body image, so some influencers are using their platform to spread body positivity and self-love.
Instagram, TikTok, VSCO, Snapchat, and countless other social media applications can promote an unhealthy lifestyle. Many celebrities and influencers advertise staying slim; they show juices, pills, and fad diets that allegedly vanquish fat and give you the “picture-perfect” shape. This twists impressionable minds, often those of teenagers, into wanting to have the “perfect” body, no matter the consequences. Being overweight, having acne, not having trendy clothes are just a few things social media looks down upon. Yet, these things are normal in real life, so why do we find ourselves feeling bad about it?
This is one of the main questions that Body Positivity Influencers post about. They preach self-love, acceptance of all body types, and a healthy, balanced lifestyle. Dominating platforms on TikTok and Instagram, Body Positivity Influencers, such as @brittanilancaster, who has nearly 1 million followers on TikTok, or @victoriagarrick4, who has over 700,000 followers, make content of the dangers of social media and show how they keep a positive mindset while accepting their body.
Brittani Lancaster, one of my personal favorite body-positive influencers, shared her story of battling two eating disorders. In her recovery, she started her TikTok account to help others with a similar story. She creates “What I Eat in A Day” videos, which show healthy balanced meals and snacks, as well as participating in trends with a body-positive twist.
Personally, seeing confident and body positive content has been a much-needed change in my social media feed. Their messages of self-love have helped me view my own body in a more positive light, and I’m sure their content has been helpful to others as well—just take a look at their comment section.
I encourage you to look at some body-positive influencers’ platforms, as their content provides a nice break from the constant bombardment of photoshop and diet culture, often damaging our body image.
Gigi Glennon is a member of the class of 2023. As well as The Blue and Gold, she was involved in the yearbook, retreat leading, and ceramics. Outside of school, she enjoyed hiking and hanging out with her dogs. Her favorite book series is The Selection Series by Kiera Cass, and her favorite food is tiramisu. While at Marist, she enjoyed sharing her voice and creativity on The Blue and Gold, serving as an Editor-in-Chief her senior year.