“It feels untenable to present oneself as someone who advocates for “body positivity” or fights oppressive beauty norms when you uphold—and profit from—the same standards you critique.”— Lexi McMenamin, bitchmedia.org
“It should not feel revolutionary to say, especially coming from the author of a cookbook that’s about healthy cooking, that fat does not equal bad or unlovable. But it’s worth saying.”— Julia Turshen, bonappetit.com
“With so many new outlets for fight, I have grown increasingly good at finding reasons to hate my body. I have found hundreds of ways to lie to myself about my body; to tell myself that is not good enough.”— Kimberly Drew, broadly.vice.com
“I began to understand the ways in which body positivity had been commodified to fit a capitalist purpose that, despite its intentions, still designates some bodies as lovable, and others as in need of improvement.”— Caroline Reilly, bitchmedia.org
“Me spending all my time thinking about my looks just feels like a dumb investment. It feels like buying a house on the seafront in Malibu where the coastline is disintegrating because of global warming.”— Jameela Jamil, marieclaire.com
“My belief that I was unworthy was the result of years of feedback that confirmed as much: bullying from my peers; no one who looked like me in TV or movies who wasn’t the butt of a joke; no clothing sold in my size; no understanding from my peers that everyone in this world is allowed to come in dif…”— Emily Zirimis, manrepeller.com
“I feel like body positivity should extend to people with no or average eyelashes.”— Akilah Hughes, twitter.com
“I no longer look at my body and feel frustrated or hateful, though I am acutely aware of it most of the time. And not to sound like that friend who wants to sell you health shakes from a pyramid scheme, but focusing on being strong rather than thin has shifted my mindset dramatically. I try to stop…”— Nora Taylor, manrepeller.com
“The brands previously thought you should feel one way about yourself, and now they have decided that’s no longer appropriate for their goals. How you talk about yourself should change, even if nothing has changed that would materially affect how you feel.”— Amanda Mull, racked.com
“The message behind loving your body is a well-intended one, but it’s not for everyone.”— De Elizabeth, editsfrommotherhood.com
“And if there's anything worse than a word that encourages us to shrink ourselves, it's a word that asks us to constantly evaluate ourselves. Picking clothes based on how "flattering" they are for our body has required us to inspect and criticize every inch of our beings.”— Kate Ward, bustle.com
“Why is it so difficult, uncomfortable, to be naked? It's because when you have clothes on you can always kinda make those little adjustments that people like to do ... you feel like you're getting it together, yeah, yeah pretty good, feeling good looking good. But when you're naked it's like it's so…”— Larry David, Jerry Seinfeld, Jerry Seinfeld, imdb.com
“Please don't describe yourself as fat. You are so much more than the layer of adipose tissue beneath your skin. You're a PERSON! A person who is talented, who can love, who can make people laugh, who is awesome. Remember that.”— Cassey Ho, instagram.com
“My body is simply a result of the work, not the goal. Look nothing's over til I die, so I'll keep trying new things!! Please remember that...EVERY BODY IS DIFFERENT! There is no one right way to lose fat or gain muscle. We're all formulated differently. It's in our genes!”— Cassey Ho, instagram.com
“Just walking around today at the beach helped me realize that it’s not a bikini contest. Every body tells a different story. And it’s awesome that we’re all shaped so differently!”— Cassey Ho, instagram.com
“Your weight does not reduce the quality of your soul. You are not the number on your scale–neither your worth nor your intelligence nor your beauty are measured by it. No matter what size you are, you still deserve to be loved and deserve nothing less than love.”— Maxwell Diawuoh, maxwelldpoetry.tumblr.com
“We teach girls shame. Close your legs; cover yourself. We make them feel as though being born female, they're already guilty of something. And so, girls grow up to be women who silence themselves. They grow up to be women who cannot say what they truly think. And they grow up--and this is the worst…”— Chimamamda Ngozi Adichie, thoughtcatalog.com