Body Positivity with James Rose
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Body Positivity with James Rose
Let’s face it- the images we consume on social media impact the way we perceive our bodies, for better or worse. For Gen-Z, the most online generation to date, this is more relevant than ever. According to a report, 95% of those who have eating disorders are between 12 and 25. While there is no direct cause of disordered eating, social media certainly contributes to feelings of body dissatisfaction.
On November 19th, The Conversationalist Founder and CEO Sophie Beren spoke with James Rose and a group of Gen Z panelists about the rise of body positivity online and the relationship between social media and self-love.
We are smiling
Our host James is a non-binary New York City-based actor, Health at Every Size Personal Trainer, trauma-informed yoga teacher, and co-host of the @Full.Soul.Nutrition Podcast. They are also active in the body positivity space on Instagram @jamesissmiling.
“Body positivity is a subject I think all of us can relate to because we all have an experience with body and body image,” they said at the top of the panel. “We all exist in this day and age, and we’re all subject to different media.”
What does body positivity mean to you?
“It’s all about self-love and accepting yourself,” Amanda Roberts, a mid-sized fashion & lifestyle content creator who shares her experiences about body positivity and her perspective as a black woman in college, said.“No matter where you are, accepting that you are the best version of yourself.”
Alexsey Reyes, a Texas-based Latino artist, and photographer echoed Amanda’s perspective. “Your body can change and be on different stages,” he said. “I think it’s important to love yourself and not wait for something to happen to your body.”
“It sounds like you’re talking about the idea of giving yourself unconditional permission to love yourself where you are,” James said to Alexsey’s point.
How does body image impact our mental health?
Ethan Cassity, a No Labels member and Special Olympics Athlete, said having a healthy body image is all about being mentally positive. “It doesn’t matter what size we are. We all have to embrace ourselves and our mental health,” he said.
How does social media impact your mental health?
Riya Goel, a high school senior and student activist, offered a Dr. Seuss Quote that helps keep her grounded on social media: “Today you are you, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is you-er than you.”
Marisa Littlefield, a 22-year-old positive lifestyle blogger and body acceptance activist, said that while it’s fantastic that social media helps us stay connected, it leads to comparison, which she struggled with for many years. “The key was surrounding myself with the right influencers,” she said. “You can find yourself in a lane where the same type surrounds you.”
James related her point to the echo chamber of social media, which The Conversationalist seeks to break.
Has anyone had a body-positive social media experience?
Brett Sinclair, an actor, comedian, and male body positivity & male mental health activist from London, feels social media is positive for him since he started to see the conversation surrounding male body positivity. He thinks this shows that men need a space to be vulnerable and discuss their experiences.
Marisa agreed with Brett and said her mindset around social media changed when she discovered @thebirdspapaya on Instagram. “She embraces every part of her body,” she said. “I wanted to replicate that and feel it myself.”
James said they learned about body positivity from social media from “fat black women who were like, ‘I’m not represented in any spaces, and this is wrong.’”
Fatima Burgos, a college student and body-positive blogger thanked James for crediting the body positivity movement’s origins. She said she started her blog because she didn’t see bodies that looked like her represented in the blogging or fashion world. “I’m so passionate about dressing up and feeling good, and I wanted to share that with everybody,” she said. Fatima recently participated in a lingerie shoot as an Aerie ambassador. She said the experience was out of her comfort zone, but she was excited to represent people who look like her.
When it gets difficult, how do you reconnect with your body as a source of positivity?
“You can be positive, and it’s still okay to have insecurities.” It’s about changing the language around how you talk to yourself about those insecurities,” Brett said. He added that it’s essential to understand that moments of insecurity will probably pass. “I’m more than what my body is,” he said. “I’m a brain. I’m intelligent. I’m funny.”
James recounted an experience with a HAES nutritionist who said, “Your body is the least interesting thing about you.”
What experiences do you have around the holidays, and how do you cope with them?
“A lot of us were taught to be quiet and take it when we get comments about our body and needing to lose weight. It’s important to push back sometimes,” Fatima said. “You’re entitled to defend yourself, and you should in those moments.”
Is there anything in the body positivity movement you wish was addressed more, or would you like to shed more light?
Amanda brought the conversation back around to the media’s impact on body image. She said she wanted to see more discussion about how the media impacts a person’s self-love journey.
Riya said that as a part of Gen Z, she’s grown up on social media and pointed out that it’s easy to worry about being more like someone else, which leads to an unhealthy cycle. “The more we look at content that isn’t healthy, the more our for you page shows you that,” she said. “If we’re living in this negative bubble, we have that show up again and again on our feed.”
James related this point to their own experience on social media. They followed closely eating disorder accounts, but this led to a one-track mindset, and they wanted to see more nuance in the body positivity conversation.
Marisa agreed. She said she saw a comment from a friend who felt guilty when they couldn’t reach the level of body positivity they see from influencers on social media.“I share a lot about body positivity, but I also try to share a lot about the bad days,” she said.
Travis emphasized the importance of taking a break from social media when creating a more positive social media experience. He also said that he found encouragement from getting a notepad and writing out his emotions. “You have to stay inspired so you can see people that inspire you,” he said. He mentioned that Brett’s Instagram account inspired him.
“It’s about loving your body and having a positive influence,” Ethan said. “We have to do it on our own and can’t just depend on those around us.”
How has today’s conversation helped open your echo chamber?
Marisa said the conversation made her want to show better the difficult aspects of body positivity with her followers as a blogger. She also felt empowered and energized by the conversation. “This reaffirmed my faith in humanity, seeing all these amazing people talking about this,” she said.
With that, James bid farewell to the panelists and thanked them for sharing their brilliance with the world. Social media is a more positive place thanks to their contributions.
James joined Sophie for a Q&A session where they dove deeper into the conversation around body positivity. James spoke about their experience with body positivity from a clinical perspective, the importance of acknowledging fat black women as the founders of the movement, and how their experience with gender has informed their experience with body positivity.
“I’m feeling inspired to learn more,” they said. “For me, it’s always about what I can do better.”
Join The Conversationalist for plenty more panels in the weeks ahead, featuring important conversations about topics that impact Gen Z’ers. Follow The Conversationalist on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok to learn about how you can enter to be featured on a future panel and text UNIFY to 1 (877) 222-1119 to join our community and connect with members.