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“Here’s Why I Follow These 6 Body-Positive Mavericks On Instagram”
Thank goodness for those who are bold and daring. Those who defy social norms and culture, who are trendsetters, nonconformists... Those who are teaching us to "unlearn". They're body-positive mavericks, man — and I am in praise of them.

by Women’s Health

September 2, 2019

“Here’s Why I Follow These 6 Bold Body-Positive Queens On Insta”

Thank goodness for those who are bold and daring. Those who defy social norms and culture, who are trendsetters, nonconformists… Those who are teaching us to “unlearn”. They’re body-positive mavericks, man — and I am in praise of them.

Body-positive women loading…

In a world where the standard of beauty is set on being slim and tall, with perky boobs and a big butt, representation matters. Enter the Instagrammers. Here, a list of our fave body-positive babes on the Gram. I follow them, and you should too. Here’s why…

READ MORE: 9 Of Your Favourite Celebs Share Their Thoughts On Body Confidence

Lizzo

Lizzo, an American singer, rapper and actress, gained popularity this year where she performed in a swimsuit in front of thousands of fans. In 2014, she participated in StyleLikeU’s What’s Underneath project, where she removed her clothes as she talked about her relationship with her body. In an interview with Vice regarding body image, she said: “You can wake up and change many things about your appearance, but the inevitability of waking up in your skin is what unifies us.”

Megan Jayne Crabbe

Colourful, loud and unapologetic, Megan, a body-positive advocate and fierce feminist, is the bestselling author of Body Positive Power. I love how she’s not afraid to pose in a two-piece swimsuit and let her love handles just be.

READ MORE: Here’s Why You Should Never Try To Get Rid Of Your “Hip Dips”

 

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How many of your body insecurities come from being too big? Too soft? Too jiggly? Too much? Or in other words, too fat? We spend a lot of time talking about specific parts of our bodies that we’ve been taught to see as flawed: stomachs that aren’t flat, thighs that aren’t smooth, arms that wobble and backs that ripple. We don’t talk enough about what all those supposed ‘flaws’ have in common, and why we’ve been taught to see them as flaws in the first place. The problem isn’t individual body parts. The problem is fatphobia. We live in a culture that teaches us to fear and hate fatness. And by extension, to fear and hate fat people. We’re taught a million different stereotypes about what fatness means: laziness, ugliness, unhealthiness, and above all, personal failure. These stereotypes are what allow people to justify the marginalisation of fat bodies, and the cultural fatphobia that’s created is the root of so many of the things we believe to be ‘flaws’. We don’t need to work on accepting our stomachs or our cellulite, we need to work on dismantling fatphobia in all its forms. Stomach rolls aren’t flaws because fatness is not a flaw. Arms that jiggle aren’t flaws because fatness is not a flaw. Thighs that bulge or dimple or take up space aren’t flaws because fatness is not a flaw. The only way that we free ourselves from diet culture and body hatred is by recognising that the real culprit is the fear of fat that our society has ingrained in us. Which means we have to confront the stereotypes and prejudices we hold about fatness, and unlearn the fuck out of them. We have to neutralise the word fat. We have to uplift and celebrate fat bodies that have been pushed to the margins of society for so long. We have to question the medicalisation of fatness. WE HAVE TO REDEFINE WHAT FATNESS MEANS IN OUR CULTURE. When we do that, nobody will have to wonder how they can accept a ‘flaw’ on their body that comes from being too fat, because they won’t have been taught to see it as a flaw in the first place. ????? Lingerie is @dearscantilly ?

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Chidera Eggerue

Famously known as The Slum Flower, Chidera is the author of What A Time To Be Alone, a book about being comfortable with and truly caring for yourself. Many women who’ve struggled with insecurity over their sagging breasts have found her relatable. Through Chidera embracing her own breasts, they’ve learnt to accept, and even love, their bodies as they are.

Yoliswa Mqoco

Yoliswa, a digital maven, is the pace-setter for plus-size fashion trends. You’ll catch her modelling for plus-size clothing lines across a number of online shopping sites, proving not only that plus-size can be super stylish – but also that anyone can wear a crop-top, regardless of their shape.

 

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smaak the photographer, tbqh.☺️ ________ ?: @meegymaxx

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Siphokazi Veti

Siphokazi, a motivational speaker, writer and digital influencer, inspires all thick women to show off! She clearly doesn’t shy away from nude photoshoots. Seriously, you need to check this out. And double tap…

thickleeyonce

Thickleeyonce is a self-proclaimed photographer, plus-size model, body-positive advocate, digital influencer and YouTuber. That’s a lot. Stretch marks bothering you? Follow her and you’ll soon learn to embrace them – and maybe even wear a crop top. Love.