Body positivity is at an all-time high.
With Instagram as it’s main platform, the body positive movement spreads love about acceptance of people who are all shapes and sizes. It’s a wonderful thing.
However, as Instagram is the number one social media platform for teenagers, and the world is seemingly obsessed with “thick” bodies of late, this has taken it’s toll on some teenager’s self esteems.
Recently, 15-year-old Juliana Delacruz shared a photo of her midriff on Instagram.
The photo was accompanied with the caption: “Just because I’m not ‘thick’ it doesn’t mean that I’m not able to love my body #selflove”.
Thick is a colloquial term people use to describe bodies like Kim Kardashians – with large breasts, small waists and large thighs and bum.
The Texas teenager’s image was liked by over 50,000 Instagram users and garnered 2,000 comments – but she has since hidden her account.
One user wrote: “Thank you for this! I definitely know how you feel.”
Juliana said: “A lot of people are mean about these topics. I’m making this post because I always get messages like ‘you’d be hotter if you were thicker’ and things like that but it’s something I can’t control you know?
“I’m still trying to learn how to love my body, I know I’m not perfect but yeah.”
She said that the post was all about “overcoming negativity by fighting with positivity” and shared it so other girls don’t think they’re alone when their self-esteem is low.
This is why it’s so important that the body positive movement remains inclusive of all body types as teenage girls are the most impressionable.
