We only have one body, so it is important to accept and embrace the skin we’re in. Social media and dieting trends have been the source of body dysmorphia and eating disorders in our society. In modern times, celebrities and influencers have openly rejected this overly-filtered, photoshopped media landscape.
Body positivity is a movement that promotes acceptance of all bodies, regardless of size, shape, skin tone, gender, and physical abilities. In a study published in the December 2019 issue of the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, body dissatisfaction is closely associated with depression, use of performance-enhancing substances, and low self-esteem.
Loving Your Body
According to a 2016 study by the International Journal of Eating Disorders, even brief exposure to media messages portraying an “ideal physique” was linked to increased body image concerns and eating disorder symptoms. The same research also found that body dissatisfaction is associated with adolescents’ poor self-esteem regardless of gender, age, weight, race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status.
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Brands that have been problematic before for not being inclusive of different body types, gender, and race have since adopted more inclusive campaigns. For example, Victoria’s Secret was criticized for its lack of body inclusivity. Then, in 2021, they underwent a rebranding by replacing their “Angels” with the “VS Collective.”
Deciding not to compare yourself to others and celebrating your body is the way to live a body-positive mindset. If you start at a place of self-love, you can achieve this. In a world where media and the internet can be so cruel and judgmental, being sure of yourself and your values as an individual can turn that negativity into static.
The bar is set high on how we are supposed to live our lives and how we are supposed to look while doing it. A successful or happy life isn’t solely based on the physical or material. We have more to offer ourselves, our loved ones, and the world.
These celebrities are all about remaining body positive:
Jonah Hill
In 2021, the Superbad star clapped back at paparazzi after photos of himself surfing were published online. “I don’t think I ever took my shirt off in a pool until I was in my mid 30s even in front of family and friends,” he wrote at the time. “Probably would have happened sooner if my childhood insecurities weren’t exacerbated by years of public mockery about my body by press and interviewers. So the idea that the media tries to play me by stalking me while surfing and printing photos like this and it can’t phase me anymore is dope. I’m 37 and finally love and accept myself.” He later expressed that he’d prefer that his body not be a topic for public discussion, taking to Instagram to make that clear. He said at the time, “I know you mean well but I kindly ask that you not comment on my body. Good or bad I want to politely let you know it’s not helpful and doesn’t feel good. Much respect.” Despite his statement, news publications still write about his weight gain or loss.
Kate Winslet
Winslet previously told Vogue Australia, “As a child, I never heard one woman say to me, ‘I love my body.’ Not my mother, my elder sister, my best friend. No one woman has ever said, ‘I am so proud of my body.’ I make sure to say it to [my daughter] Mia because a positive physical outlook has to start at an early age.” Winslet was just 20 years old when she bared it all in 1997’s Titanic. The actress has been on the receiving end of more “male gaze” focus than most because she wasn’t as thin as other actresses at this time. She explained that at the time, there were several toxic fans and journalists who commented on her weight being the reason Jack (Leonardo DiCaprio) ended up dying and not getting on the door. “Apparently, I was too fat,” she said. “Why were they so mean to me? They were so mean. I wasn’t even f—ing fat. If I could turn back the clock, I would’ve used my voice in a completely different way.” She said she’d tell the journalists: “‘Don’t you dare treat me like this. I’m a young woman, my body is changing, I’m figuring it out, I’m deeply insecure, I’m terrified, don’t make this any harder than it already is.’ That’s bullying, you know, and actually borderline abusive, I would say.”
Emma Stone
The La La Land star told Seventeen in 2014, “No matter how things look from the outside, we can all be super critical of ourselves and of our image in the mirror. I’ve seen articles or comments that have addressed my weight, or ‘caving to pressure to be thin.’ Keeping weight on is a struggle for me—especially when I’m under stress, and especially as I’ve gotten older….I remind myself to be kind to myself, and as slightly ridiculous as it may sound, to treat myself in the same gentle way I’d want to treat a daughter of mine. It really helps.”
Meryl Streep
The Devil Wears Prada star advised aspiring actresses not to worry about their weight too much. She told Indiana University in 2014 that at the start of her acting career, she was always in plays, but thought it was vain to be an actress. “Plus, I thought I was too ugly to be an actress. Glasses weren’t fabulous then.” She told aspiring performers, “For young men, and women, too, what makes you different or weird, that’s your strength. Everyone tries to look a cookie-cutter kind of way and actually the people who look different are the ones who get picked up. I used to hate my nose. Now I don’t. It’s okay.”
