Social media can seem like a scary and intimidating place, especially Instagram. People only post their highlight reel, showcasing the best photos of their bikini bodies and trendy outfits. It is easy to feel envious of people who seem to have a perfect life and body, however, that is usually not the reality. These Instagrammers get real and raw about their bodies and tell us why we should too.
- Danae Mercer
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Danae Mercer is the ultimate girl boss. She was previously editor-in-chief for both the Women’s and Men’s Health Middle East publications. She loves journaling and content creating in addition to advocating for more self-love. Her Instagram inspires women everywhere to see the beauty in the female body. She posts real AF photos to display how each body is unique and different. She is an advocate for showing off cellulite, bloated tummies, and tutorials on how to pose in photos so you can feel your best in your skin. Her Instagram is bursting with all of the inspiration you need when you feel down.
- Stephanie Yeboah
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The queen and author of her new book Fattily Ever After, Stephanie Yeboah touches on fatphobia and racism and how she dealt with it her entire life. With social stigmas surrounding weight and the prevalence of diet culture, a lot of women who are socially perceived as “fat” are being fat-shamed. Now, imagine living as a black woman and dealing with discrimination and racism daily on top of fatphobia. Stephanie strives to tell her story in hopes that women around the world can possess a better outlook on themselves and see just how one-of-a-kind they are. Between her new novel and Instagram feed full of motivational content, she helps women everywhere embody self-love and positivity.
- Mik Zazon
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In a previous article of mine, Kelani Anastasi recommended I follow Mik Zazon on Instagram and I am so glad she did. This boss babe is not afraid to show her real body. She previously struggled with an eating disorder and came a long way to recovery. Body dysmorphia and eating disorders are more common than you think, and oftentimes these topics aren’t discussed. Mik wanted to tell her story to help women overcome their struggles. She even created the hashtag #normalizenormalbodies in hopes to instill in women that having bloating, acne, stretch marks, and a whole host of other things are completely normal. Her Instagram is a friendly reminder we all need that our bodies are beautiful in every way. Oh, and if you are a TikTok fan, she is on there too so you can binge-watch her videos and lose all sense of time!
- Rocyie Wong
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Rocyie Wong is here to help us live our truth. At least that’s what her Instagram bio says. Rocyie advocates for skin positivity and acceptance because she knows the first-hand struggles of not being comfortable in your skin. She struggles with psoriasis, a skin disorder that causes red, scaly patches on the skin. Anyone who struggles with any sort of skin condition, whether it be psoriasis, cystic acne, eczema, rosacea, and so on, understands how tough it can be to feel confident. Her Instagram is the place to be if you feel a little down about your skin and need a community to lift you up.
- Chidera Eggerue
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Chidera is the older sister we all need in our life. She wrote two novels, How to Get Over a Boy and What a Time to Be Alone, and pioneered the #SAGGYBOOBSMATTER movement. Women constantly get scrutinized and judged for their bodies and Chidera says to hell with that – and you should too! Chidera helps women embrace their saggy boobs, hairy legs, hip dips, and more. She helps women embrace it all. Learn to embrace and love the body you have because it’s truly extraordinary.
- Hannah Witton
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Let’s talk about sex, baby. As your sex educator, Hannah Witton is more than willing to talk about all the things everyone is too afraid to. Sex, periods, hormones, you name it and she’s talked about it. Her podcast, Doing It! consists of all the juicy content you need to get the answers to your questions. In our society, sexual stigma is a real thing. If you have too many sexual partners in your lifetime, you are labeled a slut. If you don’t have a high body-count, you are labeled a prude. Either way, you just can’t win anymore. Hannah Witton breaks down these double standards and gets real with her audience to attempt to normalize these topics in our society.