Finding Body Positivity Resources On Instagram

Whether we like to admit it or not, social media is a significant part of our lives. We Are Social reported that 3.8 billion people were using social media platforms at the beginning of 2020 and that by mid-year, more than half of the world’s population would be on social media [1]. And while social media platforms like Instagram are often seen as promoting body insecurities and negative self-esteem, emerging research reveals body positivity resources on Instagram (and other social media sites) can help improve body image and support body satisfaction.

Social Media, Body Image, & Eating Disorders

Images in the media have long been recognized as playing a significant role in shaping body image and body satisfaction. Back in the 1980s and 90s, researchers found that the idolized “thin ideal” (found in magazines, ads, and other media) significantly and negatively impacted young girl’s and women’s perception of and satisfaction with their bodies [2]. Today, with the rise of social media sites like Instagram and Facebook, users (especially young people) are even more likely to be influenced by media images.

One study found that 16-24-year-olds spend, on average, 3 hours each day on social media, primarily on image-based platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Tik Tok, where many users curate and heavily edit their feeds to present only the most attractive version of themselves [3].

With constant exposure to the curated, picture-perfect feeds of super-models, celebrities, and peers, it’s no surprise that research reveals social media usage has a negative effect on body satisfaction and may contribute to the development of body dysmorphia and eating disorders [4].

Studies have also found social media can exacerbate symptoms and trigger harmful behaviors among those with eating disorders [5]. For example, a residential treatment center in Chicago reported 30-50 percent of teen patients used social media to support their eating disorder behaviors [6].

One of the main reasons why social media negatively impacts body image and leads to body dissatisfaction is that users are constantly scrolling through accounts promoting and glorifying the “thin ideal.” From perfectly-posed pictures of fitness models and celebrities to highly edited shots of friends and classmates, it’s easy for users to get caught up in comparisons and body dissatisfaction.

As one study found, exposure to thin-ideal images led college students to experience increased body dissatisfaction, negative moods, and diminished self-esteem, as well as engage in eating disorder symptoms [7]. But just as social media accounts glorifying a “thin ideal” can shape and impact users’ perceptions of their bodies, accounts promoting body positivity and body inclusion can also influence users’ perception of their bodies.

A recent study among 195 young women found that even brief exposure to body-positive Instagram posts led to improved mood and body image perception, while posts idealizing the thin-ideal had the opposite effect [8]. While research is still emerging on the effects body-positive social media accounts have on body image perception, the early evidence is promising: the more body-positive content people consume, the more positive their body image perception is.

And the good news is, the last several years have seen a surge of body positive accounts, hashtags, messages, and pictures pop up on image-based social media sites like Instagram, making it easy for users to find body positivity resources on social media. For example, a quick #bopo search (the body positivity hashtag) on Instagram reveals 1.1 million posts use the hashtag to promote body positivity.

Finding Body Positivity Resources on Instagram

Here are some body-positive accounts and resources to follow on Instagram. In addition to following body-positive social media accounts, you may also consider unfollowing/unfriending accounts that promote the thin-ideal, dieting, weight-loss, and other potentially triggering ideas and behaviors.

Body Positivity Accounts to Follow on Instagram

Educational/Activist Accounts

@eatingdisorderhope https://www.instagram.com/eatingdisorderhope/
@effyourbeautystandards https://www.instagram.com/effyourbeautystandards/
@i_weigh https://www.instagram.com/i_weigh/
@recovrywarriors https://www.instagram.com/recovrywarriors/
@neda https://www.instagram.com/neda/
@madeonagenerousplan https://www.instagram.com/Madeonagenerousplan/
@sundaymorningview https://www.instagram.com/Sundaymorningview/
@chubstr https://www.instagram.com/chubstr/
@bodypositivememes https://www.instagram.com/bodypositivememes/
@beauty_redefined https://www.instagram.com/beauty_redefined/
@bopoillustrator https://www.instagram.com/bopoillustrator/

Dietitians & Therapists Accounts

@drcolleenreichmann https://www.instagram.com/drcolleenreichmann/
@dietitiananna https://www.instagram.com/dietitiananna/
@encouragingdietitian https://www.instagram.com/encouragingdietitian/
@victoriamyers_ https://www.instagram.com/victoriamyers_/
@bodyimagewithbri https://www.instagram.com/bodyimagewithbri/
@theintuitive_rd https://www.instagram.com/theintuitive_rd/
@body_peace_liberation https://www.instagram.com/body_peace_liberation/
@bodypositiveyoga https://www.instagram.com/bodypositiveyoga/
@immaeatthat https://www.instagram.com/immaeatthat/
@thewellful https://www.instagram.com/thewellful/
@haescoach https://www.instagram.com/haescoach/

Influencer Accounts

@roseybeeme https://www.instagram.com/roseybeeme/
@thebirdspapaya https://www.instagram.com/thebirdspapaya/
@thickleeyonce https://www.instagram.com/thickleeyonce/
@katiesturino https://www.instagram.com/katiesturino/
@mynameisjessamyn https://www.instagram.com/mynameisjessamyn/
@bopo.boy https://www.instagram.com/bopo.boy/
@fullerfigurefullerbust https://www.instagram.com/fullerfigurefullerbust/
@luuhrich https://www.instagram.com/luuhrich/
@ownitbabe https://www.instagram.com/Ownitbabe/
@iamdaniadriana https://www.instagram.com/iamdaniadriana/
@mommyinheels https://www.instagram.com/Mommyinheels/
@iskra https://www.instagram.com/iskra/

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References:

[1] Dubras, R., Oxford, L., & Valentine, O. (2020, February 4). Digital 2020: 3.8 billion people use social media. We Are Social. https://wearesocial.com/blog/2020/01/digital-2020-3-8-billion-people-use-social-media.

[2] Written By Brittany Tackett MA Edited By Meredith Watkins Reviewed By Scot Thomas last updated on November 5, 2019. (2019, November 5). Social Media and Body Image: Mental Health Information. Project Know. https://www.projectknow.com/eating-disorders/and-social-media/.

[3] How Much Time Do People Spend on Social Media in 2020? Review42. (2020, July 4). https://review42.com/how-much-time-do-people-spend-on-social-media/.

[4] Ahadzadeh, A. S., Sharif, S. P., & Ong, F. S. (2016, November 18). Self-schema and self-discrepancy mediate the influence of Instagram usage on body image satisfaction among youth. Computers in Human Behavior. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S074756321630752X?via=ihub.

[5] Link Between Social Media & Body Image. King University Online. https://online.king.edu/news/social-media-and-body-image/.

[6] Written By Brittany Tackett MA Edited By Meredith Watkins Reviewed By Scot Thomas last updated on November 5, 2019. (2019, November 5). Social Media and Body Image: Mental Health Information. Project Know. https://www.projectknow.com/eating-disorders/and-social-media/.

[7] The Impact of Exposure to the Thin-Ideal Media Image on Women. Taylor & Francis Online. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10640260490267751.

[8] Fardouly, J. F., & Cohen, R. #BoPo on Instagram: An experimental investigation of the effects of viewing body positive content on young women’s mood and body image – Rachel Cohen, Jasmine Fardouly, Toby Newton-John, Amy Slater, 2019. SAGE Journals. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1461444819826530.

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About the Author:

Sarah Musick is a freelance writer who specializes in eating disorder awareness and education. After battling with a 4-years long eating disorder, she made it her mission to help others find hope and healing in recovery.

Her work has been featured on numerous eating disorder blogs and websites. When she’s not writing, Sarah is off traveling the world with her husband.

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The opinions and views of our guest contributors are shared to provide a broad perspective on eating disorders. These are not necessarily the views of Eating Disorder Hope, but an effort to offer a discussion of various issues by different concerned individuals.

We at Eating Disorder Hope understand that eating disorders result from a combination of environmental and genetic factors. If you or a loved one are suffering from an eating disorder, please know that there is hope for you, and seek immediate professional help.

Published August 24, 2020, on EatingDisorderHope.com
Reviewed & Approved on August 24, 2020, by Jacquelyn Ekern MS, LPC