There are good and bad sides to everything in life. Social media is no different. Whilst Instagram and other platforms can be a hotbed for self-doubt and body shaming, there is some hope… if you look hard enough!
Instead of chasing ‘the ideal’ and what we think we should look like, there are people out there who are changing the conversation and promoting body positivity.
Their goal: to encourage followers to accept and appreciate their own bodies, whatever shape, size or appearance. Engaging with these Instagram influencers and viewing body positive content can improve mental health and body image.
So, if you’re looking for some inspiration for your morning Insta scroll – and a boost in body confidence – here are some of our favourite influencers that you should be following.
Karina Irby @karinairby_raw
Karina Irby is an Australian influencer and bikini designer. With a passion for body positivity and inclusiveness, Irby shares candid snaps of her own body and journey, from weight gain to bloating, with her one million Instagram followers @karinairby. But this isn’t the account we’re here to talk about. Irby has a second page, @karinairby_raw, where she posts her ‘out-takes’. These are unedited snaps, showing her unfiltered parts of her life to banish any unrealistic expectations.
Celeste Barber @celestebarber
Celeste Barbour is an actor, writer and comedian, but to her six million followers she’s leading the movement around body positivity. Barber is known for her funny parodies of celebrity Instagram accounts. These recreated photos of the rich and famous do more than poke fun at thin, self-obsessed celebrities, they’re helping women feel better about their bodies and the importance of keeping things ‘real’. She’s proving that you don’t have to look a certain way to be visible, whilst slamming all those body shamers out there.
Radhika Sanghani @radhikasanghani
Journalist and author Radhika had a message she wanted to share with the world: big noses are beautiful. So, she created the body positive #sideprofileselfie campaign to encourage people to share the side profile of their noses, whatever the shape or size. As of last year, the movement gathered over 5,000 posts with followers showing off their own side profile.
Bryony Gordon @bryonygordon and Jada Sezer @jadasezer
Last year, British Journalist Bryony Gordan teamed up with model Jada Sezer, and together they ran the London Marathon wearing only their underwear. Both are advocates of self-love and mental health, and their marathon message was simple. They wanted to show the world that fitness is for all sizes.
Callie Thorpe @calliethorpe
Plus Size Model, Callie Thorpe, has a very honest stance on self-love. Callie is all about body inclusivity and confidence, but she also talks openly about the parts of her body that she does not like. She’s only human, after all! Callie launched @TheConfidenceCorner Instagram page and podcast to encourage everyone to share their self-love stories and practice body positivity.
Megan Crabbe @Bodyposipanda
With an impressive 1 million followers, Megan Crabbe is one of the most well-known and popular influencers for body positivity and self-love. As an eating disorder survivor, Crabbe’s focus is on encouraging people to have a healthier relationship with food. She explains and shows her followers that they don’t need to restrict their diet or skip meals to achieve certain body goals.
Megan Rose Lane @megan_rose_lane
Megan is a beauty blogger and mother. After having her first child, she took to Instagram to share her journey through motherhood, her struggles with body confidence and her experience with an eating disorder. Megan wants to remind us how miraculous our bodies really are and how we shouldn’t judge, punish or take them for granted.
MidSize Collective @midsizecollective
Midsize Collective are here to celebrate ‘average’ sized women. Neither petite nor plus sized, this colourful collection of posts and photos show us that you can be confident at any size. While many body positive pages are about one side of the weight scale or the other – MidSize tells people that they don’t have to be. Make sure you follow their hashtag #midsizestyle too!
Joann Van Den Herik @joannvdherik
Dutch model, Joann Van Den Herik, wants you to love your body. She knows what it feels like to lack body confidence, and so uses Instagram to connect and encourage people to be kinder to themselves. Van Den Herik, who is also the cousin of Bella and Gigi Hadid, posts images that show her imperfections in order to challenge what society says is wrong.
Stephanie Yeboah @nerdabouttown
Stephanie Yeboah is a British blogger and body neutrality influencer. While body positivity is all about loving our bodies, body neutrality says it’s okay to have days where you don’t feel so body confident. As part of the movement, Yeboah uses Instagram to promote fat acceptance. She encourages women to find peace with their bodies, talks about practicing self-love and not allowing the bad days to hinder your journey.
So, what are you waiting for? Hit follow now.