This Model Is Fighting Back Against Body Shamers

ASOS and Bella Freud model Emily Bador is a positive, freckle-faced beauty who turned an Instagram post into one of the most inspirational and motivational messages so far this year. Coming from an experienced model, her words have a major impact in a community where body-shamers exist. Bador is using her platform to fight back and stand up for herself and everyone else who’s in her position.

In modern days, many young people, especially women, are judged and body-shamed for their physiques and appearances, especially on social media.

In her Instagram post, she uploaded a powerful photo of herself to show off her transformation. In the photo on the left, she explains that when it was taken almost two years ago, in August 2015, she was much slimmer and still believed that she was “fat.” She starved herself and it took a toll on her body, leaving her dizzy and physically sick from the lack of food in her system.

View this post on Instagram i'm gonna be honest, the industry needs to change. man oh man i'm tired of it. on the left is july 2015, my lowest weight. i can't tell you how much i weighed but i can tell you i was size 4/6 and my waist only measured 23 inches. i can also tell you i thought i was fat. i've always had a few body image issues but since becoming a model, they've skyrocketed. at work, i've always felt like i didn't belong, i've always been short, and mixed race. i'd been modelling for just over a year, and going to castings made me feel super insecure. every time i didn't get a call back from my casting i'd start to wonder why. was i too fat? during 2015, i became obsessive with my measurements and clothes sizes. i exercised daily and i would never even look at any carbs let alone eat them. it started making me physically sick, dizzy, exhausted, etc. i ended up getting to a point where i'd have daily panic attacks about getting dressed, and couldn't even leave my bed in fear of catching my reflection in the mirror. at this time, i also started getting the most work i've ever had and travelling all over world. which, instilled in me "the thinner i am, the more work i'm gonna get". my hatred for myself became so overwhelming i knew something had to change, i took some time out and finally got working on loving myself. and today, for the first time in a long time, i felt good about myself this morning. i struggle with getting dressed sometimes, catching my reflection can occasionally hurt still and i have panic attacks now and again but i am getting there. sometimes i forget that self love is a journey. we have to call on this system to change. we need diversity. all bodies, differently abled, shaped, coloured, sized, gendered and aged. diversity is so important. representation is so important. i'm sick and tired of seeing amazing, talented, beautiful women hate themselves because they don't look like that VS model or whatever. too many young women suffer from mental health issues which stem from the pressure of today's media. ✨you are more than your appearance, you are strong and resilient and you are beautiful no matter what and i really hope you remember that✨ A post shared by e m i l y bador (@darth_bador) on Dec 10, 2016 at 11:53am PST

While attending modeling shoots and standing around other models, she felt like an outcast. At the moment, she admits that she wasn’t accepting of herself and believed that her features were flaws and everyone around her constantly judged her appearance.

After all the hate and judgement she’s received over the past years, she’s used all of it to create the stronger and more positive person she is today. The photo on the right represents her self-acceptance. Being herself and gaining the capability in becoming the person she wants to be, while blocking out the haters and those who yearn to watch her go down. But after this post and her courage to stand up, there is no way she’s going down. Instead, Emily has opened up the eyes of many people and allowed them to see what true self-acceptance is and how to love yourself.

The world needs people to stand up for themselves along with many others who are fighting the same battle and Emily is one among the many beautiful individuals.

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[H/T: Refinery 29]