Written by Preslee Crowl

Photographed by Hadley Berry

In recent years, there's been a significant shift in dialogue about the way we talk about body image and media representation of people of different sizes. We've seen the rise of body positivity, body neutrality, as well as a focus on inclusivity in the media.

The body positivity movement has shifted its target audience over the years. People are celebrating small to midsize women calling it body positivity, when these women are not the ones the movement was created by or for. The idea behind body positivity is great but has become severely commercialized and misconstrued. One way people are combatting this issue is learning to love themselves regardless of looks in a new movement focused on body neutrality. Body neutrality focuses on how your body functions instead of how it looks. It is important to accept the body you have and know it is okay to love the way you look now. 

 A lot of younger audiences struggle with body expectations due to the way the media portrays unrealistic bodies. Today’s beauty standards make many people of all ages feel uncomfortable or unhappy in their bodies. For most, building acceptance of oneself is a long and detailed journey that takes deep self-reflection. Being comfortable in your skin is not easy and is different for each person. 

Some have started building platforms on Instagram to promote normalizing the fact that everybody looks different and that it is okay. Every day you follow people that fit unrealistic beauty expectations, and it can bring a false reality of what real women look like. By following people on social media that are like your own body type, it may help build more realistic and approachable expectations of your body. Some influencers you can follow on Instagram include; @Tessholliday, @Kaykayyd, @Denisemmercedes, @Diana.dares, @Nicolebyer, @Asheekim, @Preciousleexoxo, @Lovisallager, @Curve_model, @Jaimmykoroma, etc. Also, on TikTok, you can follow: @Remibader, @Brooklyndallen, @Courtneycoppa_, @Brittany_broski, etc. 

Besides influencers, there has been an influx of a variety of bodies and sizes in the entertainment industry. One of the biggest voices currently is Lizzo’s. She has encouraged her audience to embrace body neutrality while also showing that any size is okay. Lizzo encourages her audience to wear whatever they want to feel good about themselves regardless of what their bodies look like. Along with Lizzo, these people in the entertainment industry are also contributing to more representation; Barbie Ferrara, Nikkie de Jager (NikkiTutorials), Amber Reilly, Raven Goodwin, Chrissy Metz, etc. 

Not only has there been more representation in the industry, clothing brands have started to raise the sizing range so more customers can wear their products. Brands that offer a variety of sizes you can look at are: Shein, H&M, BooHoo, Misguided, Nasty Gal, Motel Rocks, American Eagle, Pretty Little Thing, Target, and Fashion Nova.