The body positive movement got its start in the mid-20th century as a niche form of activism: “fat acceptance.” An organized activist group, the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance, was formed in 1969 to combat fat-shaming and our society’s obsession with thinness. Since then, we have made great strides with the body positive movement. The core ideas from NAAFA have been transformed into an inclusive brand of love and acceptance for yourself for any body type. Social media platforms such as Twitter and Instagram have allowed for the rapid expansion and spread of the body positive movement. In late 2018 and early 2019, several social media influencers have called for even more diversity and inclusion within the movement.
At just four years old, Sabina Karlsson started her modeling career. After years of intense and unnatural dieting, Karlsson transitioned into plus-sized modeling in 2010. Now, she talks openly about her struggles with accepting her body and advocates against diet culture in the modeling world. Karlsson also continued modeling during her previous pregnancy.
“This is a change that should have happened way back, and it’s here to stay,” Karlsson said in an interview with Elle Magazine. “It’s just going to become bigger and bigger, and people are going to become more accepted with all different body types.”
Shay Neary is the first transgender plus-size model to be featured in a major fashion campaign. In 2016, she was signed by the fashion brand Controversy. Neary speaks about her struggles with transphobia and fat-shaming that she experiences as a model. She also speaks out about problematic clothing brands in the fashion industry. Many clothing stores push the plus size clothing to the back of the store or simply offer an online-only option.
“A Real Housewife shouldn’t be your only target clientele,” Neary said in an interview with Refinery29. “And I would love to be able to go shop with my girlfriends in the store. But I can’t, and I hate that.”
In today’s day and age, lack of inclusivity and diversity is unacceptable. The fashion industry must be held accountable.
Kenzie Brenna describes herself as a love activist, body confidence enthusiast and an explorer. She posts encouraging motivational quotes as well as plenty of body-positive mirror selfies on her Instagram. Brenna gives support to her audience members that are struggling with self-love or recovering from eating disorders because she was in a similar situation at one point of her life. She talks about embracing your rolls, scars and stretch marks.
“When we talk about body acceptance and body love we’re not just advocating for belly rolls and mirror selfies,” Brenna said in an Instagram caption. “We’re talking about the moment in the interview where you believe in yourself, the moment when you finally say no to the person who has been berating you, it’s the time when you laugh with friends and you forget the bad stuff happened. It’s also when we alleviate the bad stuff for our friends and be the best allies we can for them.”
After suffering a massive stroke when she was 27-years-old, Tae Mckenzie went into a coma that changed her life forever. Her whole life, she had suffered from a rare form of epilepsy that causes strokes. When she woke up from the coma, Mckenzie couldn’t walk, talk and lost 80 percent of her memory. Years later in 2018, Mckenzie was a model for New York Fashion Week. She made history when she rolled down the runway in her wheelchair. Now, she’s an advocate for inclusion and representation as a disabled model. In an interview with WCNC, Mckenzie gives some advice to girls in similar situations as her.
“Keep the faith, believe, be beautiful and be you,” she said.
As a self-described “body positive activist,” plus-size model Tess Holiday advocates against harmful beauty standards in our society. Holliday also opens up about personal issues such as her journey of motherhood and mental health on her social media. She was featured on the cover of Cosmopolitan UK in 2018.
“ If I saw a body like mine on this magazine when I was a young girl, it would have changed my life,” she tweeted along with the photo.
Holliday is also known as the creator of the campaign #effyourbeautystandards. She encourages her followers to wear what they want, eat what they want and accept themselves the way that they are.