Curvy models and their positive effect on your mental health

The Body Positive movement is in a boom moment. And maybe the first name that comes to mind when listening to these two words is Ashley Graham. The self - model "body activist" is not afraid to see your cellulite, created a line of swimwear for all sizes and was the first Barbie with thighs that touch. But this movement is much more than all that.

#BodyPositivity, #EffYourBeautyStandards or #LoveAnyBODY   (the latter created by two models and best Australian friends ( Georgia and Kate ), are one of the many hashtags that abound in Instagram and with which you will find all kinds of bodies (and all beautiful). And although it is proven that this social network can be harmful to our self-esteem, there is also the opposite effect: it helps us see beyond zero sizes (and that makes us happy).

According to a study by professors at Florida State University, every time we see a real body (read out of the canons of beauty) represented in the media or in our networks, our mental health benefits. Also, it is comforting for those who do not have a thigh gap.

The study takes as a basis the responses of fifty women who at some point had wanted to lose weight. Each of them was taught several model images (thin, average and plus sized ) to then answer a series of questions about their physical satisfaction and self-esteem.💖💕

And what a surprise they took! The study showed that when women viewed photographs of curvy or average size models, they made fewer comparisons with their body, recalled features of the models with ease, and demonstrated higher rates of satisfaction with their appearance. However, when presented with a thinner model, they hardly remembered details, made more comparisons with themselves and showed less satisfaction with their body.

This phenomenon has already jumped from the Internet to the real world. : Ashley Graham starred in the first curvy cover for the American edition of Vogue, several Autumn-Winter 2017 catwalks included large-size models and Glamor published a no-tweak with Lena Dunham (where she stated "Let's get things straight: I do not hate like me I see - I hate the culture that told me to hate myself "). And the list goes on and on.

The recipe to feel at ease begins by forgetting impossible ideals. To win in self-esteem, remember Ashley Graham's acceptance messages, dislodge the thigh gap myth with Iskra Lawrence and join Lena Dunham and her crusade to eliminate stereotypes. Their actions are becoming stronger and empowering.