On the similar time, sticking to social media platforms might be useful, too, if performed mindfully. One avenue which may be helpful is following body liberation influencers on Instagram on TikTok. Their content material is targeted on freedom from programs of oppression that deem sure (learn: smaller) our bodies as extra wholesome, engaging, and worthy.
Whereas the accounts beneath are run by only some of all the physique liberation influencers and content material creators on the market—and the main points shared are solely a sneak peek—they seem to be a strong place to begin.
9 physique liberation influencers on Instagram price a observe
Jessamyn Stanley
Deal with: @mynameisjessamyn on Instagram and TikTok
Love yoga? Jessamyn Stanley is the right particular person to observe, particularly should you reside in an even bigger physique than your yoga teacher and have discovered your poses look completely different than theirs.
As a yoga trainer, writer, entrepreneur, and advocate, she promotes judgment-free inclusivity and physique autonomy. Additional, she provides modifications in her yoga videos (and is undeniably hilarious, simply saying).
Associated Tales
One instance of a reality Stanley stands for: Your body isn’t a burden or something you need to apologize for or change, irrespective of the scale.
For extra of her work, try The Underbelly (a digital area she began with inclusive yoga lessons and extra); the podcast Dear Jessamyn, which she co-hosts; and her books.
Virginia Sole-Smith
Deal with: @v_solesmith on Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter
Virginia Sole-Smith covers many necessary subjects concerning physique liberation. She’s posted about diet talk, the trap that anti-fat bias puts people in, and fatphobia at doctors’ offices. She hosts conversations round inclusive clothes, akin to bras that comfortably fit larger-bodied people.
Sole-Smith additionally shares content material which may be significantly useful for parents who want to be anti-diet role models to their children.
Apart from on social media platforms, Sole-Smith wrote about lots of these subjects in her just lately launched guide Fat Talk: Parenting in the Age of Diet Culture. Moreover, she covers them in her Burnt Toast newsletter and podcast of the identical identify.
Allyson Inez Ford
Handles: @bodyjustice.therapist on Instagram and Threads and @bodyjusticetherapist on TikTok
A neurodivergent and pansexual therapist of combined race, Allyson Inez Ford posts a number of nice, intersectional content material about eating disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and race.
She believes psychological well being therapy ought to occur by way of an abolitionist lens; for instance, she encourages therapists to ask their clients how they’ll cut back the inherent energy dynamic, what helps the consumer really feel secure, and the way programs of oppression are displaying up. This promotes physique liberation by acknowledging all individuals are worthy and have completely different wants, and by giving them an area to advocate for these wants.
Ford additionally emphasizes how body image and eating disorders are social justice issues, and that intersection is the place physique liberation comes into play.
Lastly, her Linktree contains superior sources, akin to an abolitionist social worker toolkit and tips on eating disorder harm reduction, the latter of which is beneficial in many (possibly surprising) ways. She covers these subjects and extra on her Body Justice podcast, as effectively.
Sonalee Rashatwar
Deal with: @thefatsextherapist on Instagram
Sonalee Rashatwar is all about fats positivity and social justice. They seem to be a fatphobia therapist and intercourse therapist.
So far as fats positivity goes, Rashatwar posts about how you don’t have to justify your body or its size—actually, you need to spend time straight-up admiring it. Moreover, they advocate for the truth that feminism must entail meaningful representations of fat people to be actually feminist.
In addition they publish about physique liberation. This goes not just for garments, they write, but additionally in well being care, locations of labor, housing, airplane accessibility, and each different area the place people are.
In another post, Rashatwar makes the purpose that working towards collective liberation means we’ve got to present one thing up, whether or not it’s consolation, objects, attitudes, or one thing else—and that doing so is well worth the security, neighborhood, care, relaxation, and so on. that comes with it. (Don’t thoughts me yelling “Hell yeah!” at my desk in the course of the workday.)
Sharon Maxwell
Deal with: @heysharonmaxwell on Instagram and Threads and TikTok
When you’re searching for encouragement and compassion concerning your physique, Sharon Maxwell is somebody to observe. She’s a speaker, weight-inclusive guide, and fats activist.
Not solely does she share serviceable posts about how to advocate for your self at the doctor’s office when dealing with weight discrimination, however she additionally shares typically useful reminders, like how a number can’t define your worth.
Maxwell’s posts are fairly empathetic. She validates why people may get sucked into diet culture—howdy, society’s anti-fat attitudes—whereas additionally reminding of us that body diversity is good and diets don’t work.
Lastly, her account is a spot of pleasure and illustration. For instance, she posts movies of herself experiencing fat joy, affirming the truth that you’ll be able to reside in a big physique while not having to attempt to drop some pounds. (BRB, crying.)
Marquisele Mercedes
Handles: @fatmarquisele on Instagram and @marquisele on Twitter
A passionate fat-liberationist and writer-educator, Marquisele Mercedes is a drive to be reckoned with. One example of her content we love: what number of “well-meaning” feedback might be thinly veiled fatphobia. A few her examples: saying weight considerations are “solely about well being” and speaking in regards to the “advantages” of weight stigma. (To be clear, there are no benefits, only harms.)
“We’re not permitting individuals to cover behind coded language whereas expressing their perception that fats individuals need to endure due to their fatness,” she wrote in that Instagram caption.
Mercedes additionally engages in necessary conversations about physique liberation because it pertains to a number of identities, akin to being a disabled person, an LGBTQIA+ person of color, and so on.
For extra of her content material, it’s possible you’ll benefit from the podcast she co-hosts, Unsolicited: Fatties Talk Back.
Rachel Millner
Deal with: @drrachelmillner on Instagram
A queer, Jewish girl, Rachel Millner, PsyD, is a licensed psychologist and authorized consuming dysfunction specialist. Her work is rooted in Health at Every Size, intuitive eating, and different significant frameworks we’re completely right here for.
Dr. Millner’s Instagram content material largely focuses on social justice and ethics. For instance, she discusses weight discrimination and the way anti-fat bias is rooted in anti-Blackness. She emphasizes the significance of advocating not only for fat liberation, however for holding those that are most discriminated towards prime of thoughts.
To Dr. Millner, “liberation” means being welcomed and celebrated for who you are, each with reference to your physique dimension, gender identification, sexual orientation, and different items of your identification. She reminds of us that they deserve fellow anti-diet, fat-positive people of their lives, too.
Ragen Chastain
Handles: @ragenchastain on Instagram and @danceswithfat on Twitter
Ragen Chastain is a speaker, author, researcher, board-certified affected person advocate, ACE-certified well being coach, and practical health specialist. She primarily writes about the intersection of weight science, weight stigma, well being, and well being care.
Chastain is a good particular person to observe should you’re searching for extra training and help round physique liberation. She’s held monthly online workshops on subjects akin to creating a weight-neutral affirming health journey and the intersection of weight stigma and capitalism.
She additionally makes attention-grabbing, nuanced factors about present occasions. For instance, she posted about how the new AMA policy on BMI (that claims BMI shouldn’t be used as a standalone measure of well being) isn’t the win we expect it’s, and what the hidden results of it might be. A happier example: How NYC handed a legislation defending individuals from being discriminated towards on account of their weight or top.
Laura Burns
Deal with: @radicalbodylove on Instagram
Laura Burns is one other physique liberation influencer on Instagram to take a look at should you’re a plus-size one that likes or is focused on attempting yoga. She’s a radical physique love activist, coach, and yoga trainer.
Burns’s content material is sort of empowering. In a post about building a fat-friendly, accessible retreat center and spa, she asks her followers for his or her “fats knowledge and experience” to assist create a very inclusive area.
When you’re searching for an anti-diet, body-positive publish to share in your story, she’s obtained these, too. For instance, she posts about how we shouldn’t comment on people’s bodies, and somewhat praise different components of them, like their trend decisions or character traits. On the similar time, Burns believes your loved ones should honor and celebrate your body such as you do. She additionally believes within the importance of community care and intuitive movement.
Observe anyone (or all!) of those of us and also you’ll be glad you probably did.
