The past year has shown a huge growth in activism for feminist issues. The topic of body image has been one of the very prevalent issues talked about in the media. Celebrities have been by using their platforms to inspire and encourage their followers to accept themselves. In 2016, Singer Alicia Keys famously vowed to go makeup free, and hasn’t turned back since. Plus sized model and body activist Ashley Graham has also used her celebrity to promote her message of positive body image to her over six million followers on Instagram. Graham has given several speeches and coined the phrase “thick thighs save lives.” Graham is widely considered a role model, and has opened the door to the emergence of more plus-sized models. Now that a new light has been shed on this issue, a whole body positivity community has formed on social media. These accounts range from models to authors to everyday people with a message about being yourself. Here are five Instagram accounts you should be following to feel inspired and confident.
Iskra Lawrence (@iskra)
Iskra Lawrence is one of the most prominent body activists today. Lawrence is a model for AerieReal, American Eagle’s lingerie brand. Lawrence is also an ambassador for the National Eating Disorder Association. She created a health and fitness app called “every body with Iskra” that gives users access to workouts, recipes and meditations. Lawrence also has over 4 million instagram followers. On top of preaching body positivity, Lawrence promotes living a healthy and active lifestyle through her posts.
Winnie Harlow (@winnieharlow)
Photo Source: @winnieharlow
Winnie Harlow was first discovered in 2014 when she was a contestant on “America’s Next Top Model”. Since then, she has had a successful modeling career while promoting self-love. Harlow has vitiligo, a condition which causes patches of skin to lose pigment. This hasn’t doesn’t stop her at all from showing skin for her 2.8 million Instagram followers. In one of her posts, Harlow says, “the real difference isn’t my skin. It’s the fact that I don’t find my beauty in the opinions of others. I’m beautiful because I know it.”
Sonny Turner (@sonnyturner___)
Instagrammer Sonny Turner has decided to go filter-less and stop using apps like FaceTune to alter her appearance. In an interview with Cosmopolitan, Turner says, “Over the last couple of years, Instagram has really opened up as a platform as a place to talk about things that are important to you. That’s when I got really into the body positive community.” You can find plenty of candid and unfiltered photos on Turner’s account that promote acceptance and positivity.
Alexandra Thomas (@learningtobefearless)
Photo Source: @learningtobefearless
Alexandra is a plus-sized fashion and beauty vlogger with over 164k Instagram followers. Her Instagram showcases her latest beauty looks and fashion finds. Her YouTube channel includes makeup tutorials, as well as more serious videos about finding plus-sized clothing, her battle with her weight and acne.
Megan Jayne Crabbe (@bodyposipanda)
After battling anorexia as a teen, Megan Jayne Crabbe has made it her mission to spread her message of body positivity to as many people as she can. Crabbe has over 950k followers on Instagram, is the author of Body Positive Power (Edbury Digital, 2017) and has recently started a YouTube channel to further promote her message. Her instagram is a mix of inspirational quotes, candid pictures of herself and reposts of other body positivity accounts. Megan is also an advocate for LGBTQ issues.
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