Brands and companies need to be advocates for body inclusivity and body positivity within their content. The body positivity movement paired with Instagram can be a cultural revolution for women whose bodies are under an immense amount of scrutiny.
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Contents
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Female Beauty Standards
The Impact on Women
Body Positivity + Body Inclusivity
The Role of Body Positivity Movement
Social Comparison
Body Discrimination
Instagram Usage & Engagement
Current Progress
Leading Brands
Leading Influencers
The Role of Brands & Companies
For the Future
References
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What society sees as imperfections are normal + beautiful.
We’ve grown up our entire lives over-saturated with messages and content that make us feel badly about ourselves and critique every inch of our bodies. Since women use social media more, they are more at risk for developing body image issues than men.
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Unrealistic and unattainable beauty standards are rooted in American society which drive body image issues and appearance comparison. Females are hypersexualized in various forms of media, beliefs, and trends in society.
Aubrey Gordon and Michael Hobbes discuss glorifying thinness during their podcast, Maintenance Phase.
At first, young girls grew up playing with Barbies, then switched to watching TV, then switched to being attached to social media. Beauty standards have been manufactured to make young girls want to change their appearance from an early age.
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Beauty standards influence what content female users post from an early age which continues this need for social approval and cycle of comparison. Dieting, body dissatisfaction, and eating disorders are long-term implications of social media use and exposure.
Body Inclusivity
Social Comparison Theory
Weight Stigma
Anti-Fat Bias
Self-Objectification
Body Image
Thin-Ideal Internalization
Aubrey Gordon & Michael Hobbes talk about social reinforcement.
Body Shame vs. Body Surveillance
Body neutrality focuses on what your body can do for you rather than what it actually looks like and can be considered a factor within the body positivity movement as well as a movement in itself. Someone who practices body neutrality focuses on being grateful for their legs because they're able to walk, or grateful for their arms because they allow them to hug loved ones.
Thin-ideal internalization is believing that being thin will make you happy, popular, and successful. Editing photos more frequently and looking at photos of other people can lead to greater body obsession, thin-ideal internalization and a negative body image.
According to social comparison theory, individuals compare themselves and their lives to others based on the information they receive about these others. As consumers of all types of media, we are seeing altered visuals without knowing they're altered which causes us to compare ourselves.
Self-objectification and body dissatisfaction have been linked to higher amounts of body shame and appearance anxiety. Body dissatisfaction can lead to harmful, long-term low self-esteem and depression among young women. Eating disorder development, appearance comparison, and a disconnect between real and fake are other long-term effects of body dissatisfaction.
Weight stigma refers to discriminatory acts and ideas targeted towards individuals because of their weight or size. This stigma can be internalized into wanting to lose weight which is then reinforced by society.
Body image refers to how we think about, feel, and act towards our own body. It encompasses what you believe about your own appearance, how you feel about your weight and size, and how you feel in your body. Body image can be positive or negative depending on one's internalized feelings and thoughts and contributes to one's overall well-being.
Body inclusivity helps us understand and accept all types of bodies regarding size, shape, and ability. As a society, we need to do better to make every body feel included and heard. This movement is meant to eliminate hierarchies and give every individual a chance to see themselves represented in the media.
"Anti-fat bias refers to attitudes, behaviors, and social systems that spcifically marginalize, exclude, underserve, and oppress fat bodies. It refers to individual bigotry as well as instituional policies designed to marginalize fat people. This can also be referred to as fatphobia, fatmisia or sizeism."
What We Don't Talk About When We Talk About Fat Aubrey Gordon
Aubrey Gordon & Michael Hobbes, Maintenance Phase
Body Neutrality
Body surveillance refers to the habitual monitoring of how one's body physically looks. Body shame refers to the heightened awareness of one's failure to meet an ideal appearance.
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Body Positivity + Body Inclusvitiy
These movements are trends to publicly reject unattainable body ideals while promoting body inclusion at every size. They focus on what your body can do rather than what it looks like while defying impossible body ideals to promote respect for all body shapes, sizes, and abilities. Ultimately, #thereelyou means letting go of others' rules and expectations of you and your body.
When users are presented with a more diverse range of appearances, body shapes, and body sizes on social media, there can be a positive impact on their mental health and overall body image.
Candid Conversation
Did You Know?
I'm Body Positive, but...
Checking Bias
Remi Bader and Bebe Rexha discuss how body positivity shows up in their lives.
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Aubrey Gordon and Michael Hobbes discuss bias.
Michael Hobbes talks about the growing interest of body inclusivity.
Aubrey Gordon and Michael Hobbes talk about implications of body positive spaces.
The Role of The Body Positivity Movement
History
Systemic Beliefs
Criticism
People throw around the word fat like it’s an insult and that it’s inherently bad and wrong, but it’s not. Its not a negative word it’s just an adjective that fat people are working to reclaim.
The idea behind this movement stems from the 1960s feminist-grounded fat acceptance movement that emerged in reaction to the rise in anti-fat discourse. This movement re-emerged in 2012 and has grown to over 13 million Instagram posts in 2020. It is alive and thriving.
Some people interpret fat acceptance as encouraging obesity and unhealthy habits, but there is no empirical evidence to support the theory that viewing body positivity leads to unhealthy behaviors.
Are you a company or brand?
There is a system of beliefs in society that equate thinness to health but that couldn’t be farther from the truth.
It is the responsibility of companies and brands to include BPM content within ads, promotion materials, commercials, and social media. There shoud be inclusion and diversity with who you hire and who you make your products for.
Aubrey Gordon and Michael Hobbes talk about the implicit bias within society.
Social comparison and Instagram are a package deal because users tend to only share the happy and appealing moments of their lives for a flawless persona. Constant exposure to content that gravitates towards the promotion of negative body image, superficial interests, and appearance-based topics can negatively affect female user's mood and compel them to practice social comparison behaviors.
A study found that 87% of women surveyed regularly compare their appearance to social media images and within those participants, 50% compare their bodies in a negative and self-deprecating manner.
Consumer -
It's important to recognize these behaviors and distance yourself from these online triggers.
Companies -
You don’t want your content to be someone’s trigger!
So often, we attach ourselves to an ideal size, but there's no standard size. Each person is not the same size in every clothing brand.
Sizing on online shopping sites and within the fashion industry don’t match real bodies and don’t have inclusive sizing. This is not the consumer’s fault! Brands are still struggling with inclusive sizing beyond XL and XXL. Not having inclusive sizing shows you’re not listening to consumers or learning a portion of your target audience. We should be seeing more than a size 0 represented on the runway.
Different body types need to be shown in every style because you can wear whatever you want no matter your size.
Learn more
Sizes 1X - 2X: able to find clothes that fit at mainstream brands and can shop in many stores
Sizes 2X - 3X: able to shop at some mainstream brands, but mostly dedicated plus brands online
Sizes 4X - 5X: able to wear the highest sizes at plus-size brands and can often only shop online
Sizes 6X and higher: very difficult to find anything that fits, even online & usually requires custom sizing
Aubrey Gordon & Michael Hobbes talk about how weight and health are not the same.
Instagram Usage
Instagram is the leading platform that encourages body idealization and social comparison behavior and has become another place where sexual objectification of women occurs.
So, what's Instagram's role in all of this?
Young girls are more likely to use Instagram as a comparison and feedback platform than their male peers.
Instagram usage leads to an unrealistic perception of what your own life should be like which can lead to feelings of inadequacy, unhappiness, and "fomo." Instagram use is related to a variety of body image concerns, including body dissatisfaction and self-objectification.
Instagram culture has placed a great deal of value on appearances, which in turn enforces the importance of the way one looks.
One study by Facebook of teen Instagram users in the US and UK found that 40% of those who reported feeling “unattractive” said the feelings started when using Instagram.
32%
30%
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of Instagram users in the U.S. are female as of March 2022
of Instagram users worldwide are 25- 35 years old as of January 2022
of Instagram users worldwide are 18-24 years old as of January 2022
Instagram is likely to remain a prominent platform, so it is imperative that users find beneficial content to have a better relationship with Instagram, with themselves, and ultimately with their body image.
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"A year and a half ago, I walked into just about every clothing store in SoHo to find an outfit for an upcoming shoot. Not ONE of those stores had above a size 10 or 12."
It's crucial that all people see themselves represented on their screens. This shift is slowly happening with more representation, but it shouldn’t take this long. There needs to be more content showing women at all sizes, all abilities, and all nationalities to increase the visibility and acceptance of underrepresented bodies in social media.
The BodCon is a virtual community and conference that focuses on body confidence, body positivity, and self-love advocacy. This event started in 2021 and encourages conversations around body confidence and body neutrality by amplifying different voices and different experiences. Founders, Jess Hunichen & Emily Ward created this network to dive deeper into the body confidence journey.
-Remi Bader
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Girlfriend Collective started in 2016 and is a sustainable, activewear clothing brand. This brand offers a size range of XXS to 6XL and values accessbility for sizing, pricing, and quality of products. Girlfriend Collective believes in doing research and hiring experts who understand bodies of all sizes and all body types is crucial to understanding inclusivity.
Savage X Fenty started in 2018 by Rihanna and is a lingerie brand designed for all sizes, shapes, genders, and backgrounds. The runway shows are used to continue the conversation around the importance of body inclusvitiy for both women and men. This brand challenges the standard of the model archetype that does not show average, curvy, and plus-sized bodies.
Athleta started in 1998 and is part of Gap Inc. This athletic clothing brand's mission is to ignite a community of active, healthy, & confident women who empower each other to reach their endless potential. Athleta offers an inclusive size range from XXS to 3X in over 500 different styles online and in-store. Every piece of clothing was designed by active women of all shapes and sizes. Athleta is creating positive feelings many people have never experienced when shopping. This brand also trains and educates their employees on body inclusive language and plus-size fit.
Old Navy started in 1994 and is part of Gap Inc. In 2021, the brand announced they would be more inclusive and offer more sizes in various styles from size 0-30. They also transformed its stores to have all sizes merchandised together, instead of having a separate plus-size section. This change comes from Gap Inc.'s campaign, BODEQUALITY, which improves the shopping environment to be more size inclusive which gives women the fashion and the experience they deserve.
Aerie started in 2006 and is a sub-brand of American Eagle. Aerie is an intimate apparel, active apparel, and loungewear clothing brand. In 2014, their marketing campaign, #AerieREAL, featured models with no airbrushing or editing. Aerie made a name for themselves in the body positivity space with this campaign and by encouraging young women to love their natural bodies. Aerie encourages authenticity, self love, and diversity through their social media, advertisements, events, blog, and clothing.
Thinx started in 2013 and is a feminine hygiene and underwear company. In order to achieve inclusivity, Thinx turned to plus size models and consumers for feedback and invested extra time and attention to their products. Thinx now offers sizes XS - 4X and places women of different shapes, sizes, and looks in their advertisements and marketing campaigns. Thinx advocates for embracing body positivity in your own way.
Good American started in 2016 by Emma Grede and Khloé Kardashian and strives to celebrate all dimensions of femininity. Grede's main goal is to make every woman feel heard and included in fashion. Good American’s size-inclusivity with their denim drove their success with sizes from OO to 24. Their advertising and social media content show women of all shapes and sizes.
Every woman deserves to feel sexy. We are sexy, we are multi-faceted, and I want women to embrace that to the fullest. - Rihanna
Aubrey Gordon is an author and activist who writes about fatness, fat acceptance, and anti-fat bias. She co-hosts a podcast, The Maintenance Phase, to bring awareness to a variety of health + wellness fads and trends. Her second book, "What We Don't Talk About When We Talk About Fat," discusses the systemic bias facing plus-size people and showcases a lot of Aubrey's personal experiences. Aubrey Gordon's Website
Mik Zazon is a writer, speaker, and advocate for body positivity and self-acceptance. Her Instagram is a safe space that promotes empowerment, self-love, and relatability. Mik is a health coach and influencer who shares her struggles with previous eating disorders to help others. She encourages everyone to show up exactly as they are. Mik Zazon's Website
Danae Mercer is a health and tavel journalist, a NEDA ambassador, and a self love advocate. She creates relatable content showing the reality behind female body standards. Her writing has been featured in Women's Health Middle East, Travel + Leisure, The Sunday Times, CNN Travel, The Guardian, and many more. Danae Mercer's Website
Jessamyn Stanley is an author, yoga teacher, and body positivity advocate. She inspires global audiences to discover the power of yoga and self-acceptance. She founded a wellness brand, The Underbelly, and has written "Every Body Yoga: Let Go of Fear. Get On the Mat. Love Your Body" and "YOKE: My Yoga of Self-Acceptance." Jessamyn Stanley's Website
Melissa Jefferson, better known as Lizzo, is a singer, songwriter, rapper, and body inclusivity advocate. Lizzo avocates for body neutrality and loving every inch of the body you have. She hopes to redefine the body positivity movement as body-normative in order to normalize all bodies and all sizes. Lizzo's Website
Jameela Jamil is an actress, speaker, and body positivity advocate. She has brought awareness to body image struggles that women face on her platforms. Jameela started an Instagram, I Weigh Community, to create a safe and inclusive space. This movement has become a podcast where Jameela helps "connect, empower, and amplify diverse voices in an accessible way." Jameela Jamil's Website
Iskra Lawrence is a British model and a champion of body diversity. She advocates for no re-touching and was Aerie's #AerieREAL role model. Iskra educates others on the body positivity movement and believes that #EveryBODYisBeautfiul while providing support for individuals affected by eating disorders. Iskra Lawrence's Website
Sarah Nicole Landry is a body confidence advocate, motivational speaker, writer, and mother. She cultivates powerful social media conversations around body image. Sarah started as a blogger and has talked honestly about body shame, body image, postpartum bodies, and weight stigma. Sarah Nicole Landry's Website
Laura Iu is a non-diet dietitian, a certified intuitive eating counselor, and yoga teacher. Laura helps people heal their relationships with food. She believes that true health is physical, emotional and mental well-being. She is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, a Certified Dietitian Nutritionist, and a Certified Nutrition Support Specialist. Laura Iu's Website
Kate Norkeliunas is a relatable, charismatic content creator who shares her eating disorder recovery and gives genuine life advice. She has gained a huge following on TikTok and Instagram and has built a community where she encourages others to love themselves and to be body positive. Kate Norkeliunas's TikTok
Ashley Graham is a model and advocate for body positivity and body inclusivity. She was the first size-16 model to be on the cover of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue in 2016. Ashley encourages other women to embrace and love their bodies. She works to educate women that they can be fit without wanting to change the natural shapes of their bodies. She advocates that health looks different on everyone. Ashley Graham's Website
Users who confidently display their cellulite, tummy rolls, & stretch marks help de-stigmatize bodies that don’t conform to conventional standards of beauty.
You can partner with plus-size influencers for feedback, fit checks, and education. This can normalize all sizes when shopping online and within social media clothing ads. You should implement new tactics into current marketing and social media strategies and reform your content through these partnerships.
Ads are misleading and can be toxic if you’re showing something that the product can’t do with filters, photoshop, or retouching. Individuals are disclosing filter usage on Instagram, so companies should do the same. Remember, consumers have agency, so they can choose to unfollow you and your content if you're not advocating for inclusivity and diversity.
Representation and inclusivity also needs to happen internally within companies. The more diverse a company and their leadership is, the more profitable and successful it will be because having people of all sizes and experiences on your team will help you create products for more people.
If you don’t do this, you will fall experience consequences of lower loyalty, sales, reputation, & relevance.
Instagram is a necessary tool in order to develop brand awareness, identity, & engagement. Companies can use Instagram to effectively engage with consumers by posting content that promotes positive body image.
I believe if your movement or campaign is not inclusive and if I can’t look at your ad and see the most marginalized people represented there, then I don’t want any part. - Toni Wilson
Body image trends and ideals have been present in women's lives for decades, even centuries. Providing women with more diverse conline content that places the focus on non-appearance based qualities can potentially increase their body image and overall well-being. Female beauty standards won’t disappear over night, but more brands and companies must educate themselves and integrate body inclusivity into their content.
Consumers need to have more honest conversations about the side effects of social media.
No-one wants to feel as though their beauty is inadequate. The sooner that companies, brands, and more influencers take this seriously, the healthier the media landscape will be, and the closer to breaking female beauty standards we’ll be.
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