When I think of a body-positive influencer, I think of someone who doesn’t feel like being skinny determines our beauty. I look for someone who normalizes food and what an everyday diet looks like, not a celebrity juice cleanse. Being more conscious about how we look over how we feel has become more of the normality as social media has ingrained in our brains that we have to look this certain way, this model-esque sort of way. How do we know what to look for? How do we know the influencer is teaching us positive habits rather than negative ones? Here are a few hot takes.
Showing the Struggles
One thing I can really appreciate is being realistic. I say this because some celebrities show you a day in their life with a routine that is just not applicable to the masses. They don’t show you the bad days, the frustrations of life if you will. Remi Bader is quite possibly the queen of realism. She is a TikToker I came across who shows you the good, bad, and the ugly of trying on clothes from a plus-size girl’s perspective. Trying on clothing is the bane of my existence. Since watching a lot of her videos, she teaches you that it’s okay that something fits because many clothing companies have sizing that just does not add up to your “true size.” She gets frustrated like many of us do, she works on trying to stay in shape by exercise and sometimes she just feels like nothing is working. We’ve so been there. Normalizing the struggle is part of the process, no one lives in a picture-perfect world.
It’s All About the Receipts
Studying food science & nutrition, I find out who’s promoting garbage and who actually has the receipts to back up their claims. Tik Toker @Andydoeshealthy is the gal who knows her stuff. She had a pretty viral video that compared a protein cookie to a McDonald’s cheeseburger. My gut says cheeseburger, but my brain says protein cookies what do I do? She breaks it down for you, but then also realizes that hey what ideally tastes better? I would say the cheeseburger. My point is that Andy doesn’t demonize food which is what a lot of these so-called body-positive influencers do. She’s a dietitian who doesn’t dance around the truth. She understands that hey a lot of us have a love for food, some should be in moderation others can be worked into your daily diet. The important thing to know when watching these health-conscious influencers are they spreading the right message. Does it do more good than harm?
Radiate That Self-Confidence
Lizzo. One of my favorite artists and non-nonsense when it comes to body image. Lizzo is known for her bigger build but what she does that is so powerful is embracing it. She created a clothing company called Yitty which carries different pieces of shapewear that are made for more inclusive sizes. Besides the amazing music and clothes, she does not care what people think, she lives her life and doesn’t let what people say about her size define her. She focuses on health for her that fits her needs. Self-care, working out, and cooking recipes specifically for vegan diets. Lizzo has created a platform that speaks to so many. I personally love to see someone who embraces their body and wears clothes for them, not for other people.
Being able to comb through the negativity can be tough. But knowing what to look for with body-positive influencers and health influencers, in general, will help you understand what a healthful lifestyle that meets your needs looks like. Ask yourself this, do you have someone you follow that makes a point to preach the unrealistic? Do things to make yourself and your body happy and healthy. Everyone’s definition of health is not one-size-fits-all.