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If you’ve ever gone on a diet or looked up ways to lose weight, then you’re familiar with seeing before and after photos. You’ll look at the results and compare them to yourself. I won’t deny that I’ve used the guilt and the self-mortification for my own diets, but this blogger will have you rethinking the way you look at before and after photos. You might even stop altogether.
Megan Crabbe, who also goes by @bodyposipanda on Instagram, is a strong advocate for body-positivity for both men and women. Her Instagram typically consists of selfies that aim to encourage people to love the skin they’re in. Unfortunately, some users are keen on leaving negative comments on her bathing suit selfies and urge her to “put some clothes on.”
I think they’re missing the point.
“Everyone deserves to be celebrated and embrace their bodies exactly as they are,” Crabbe told Elite Daily. “If I could do that after years of eating disorders and yo-yo dieting, then they can, too.”
Although Crabbe encourages everyone to love their bodies, women tend to get the shorter end of the stick. The media often promotes skinny builds that are typically only attainable through unhealthy diets and Photoshop touch-ups. To emphasize this point, Crabbe took part in a photo shoot knowing full well that they would alter her body into the media’s “ideal image.”
After staging the first photo on the left, she was then asked to go home and recreate the photos without makeup and with relaxed hair. After this shoot, Crabbe hoped to emphasize that you don’t need to look like a magazine model to look beautiful. In my opinion, she still looks gorgeous on the right.
Apart from body build, Crabbe also hopes to help women feel beautiful regardless if they’re fully clothed or dressed down to a revealing bikini. The amount of respect we deserve shouldn’t be based on how much skin we choose to show.
Look at these cuties!
In order to spread her ideology, Crabbe posts a variety of selfies that help us appreciate our bodies, whether or not you’re dressed head to toe in a t-shirt and jeans or in that cute bikini you’ve been eyeing this summer. In one particular post, she’s seen dancing confidently with a brilliant smile on her face.
She later stated:
As soon as we take ownership of our bodies and show skin in a way that isn’t catered for the male gaze, we’re shamed for it.
I would love for people to realize that nudity is not inherently sexual; our bodies in their most natural state do not exist for other people’s sexual needs. We can appreciate the beauty in bodies without having to sexualize them.
Can we hear it again for the people in the back?
Body-positivity doesn’t just mean that you love one body-type. It means that you can fully appreciate bodies in all shapes and sizes. Regardless if you have an hourglass figure, stretch marks, or some flab, be happy with your body.
