A Critical Analysis of the Body Positive Movement on Instagram: How Does it Really Impact Body Image?

Spectra Undergraduate Research Journal – 2021 – Volume 1, Issue 1

Spectra Undergraduate Research Journal

Volume 1, Issue 1

https://doi.org/10.9741/2766-7227.1003

Office of Undergraduate Research

University of Nevada, Las Vegas

digitalscholarship.unlv.edu/spectra/

Category

Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences > Urban Affairs > Communication Studies

Received

October 30, 2020

Accepted

January 18, 2021

Published

February 26, 2021

Article Title

A Critical Analysis of the Body Positive Movement on Instagram: How Does it Really Impact

Body Image?

Author

Ayla S. Gelsinger (ASG)

Author Affiliation

Department of Psychology, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV, USA.

Corresponding Author

*Ayla S. Gelsinger, g[email protected]

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4207-5356

Author Contributions

ASG: Contributed conceptualization, methodology, fieldwork investigation, thematic analysis,

coding, writing of the original draft, reviewing and editing of the manuscript

Articles in Spectra are freely available under a Creative Commons Attribution

License (CC BY 4.0) which allows others to re-use the work without permission as

long as the work is properly cited.

ISSN

2766-7227

Data Availability Statement

The author of this article confirms that all data underlying the findings are fully available without

restrictions.

Conflicts of Interest

The author declares that she has no conflict of interest.

Ethical Considerations

Given that this project did not involve human or animal subjects, no IRB or IACUC approval was

needed. No data are presented in this paper derived from the participants and all program elements

are publicly shared.

Funding

This research was not funded.

Recommended Citation

Gelsinger, A. S. (2021). A critical analysis of the body positive movement on Instagram: How does

it really impact body image?. Spectra Undergraduate Research Journal, 1(1), 47-55.

https://doi.org/10.9741/2766-7227.1003

 
 
Spectra Undergraduate Research Journal – 2021 – Volume 1, Issue 1 
https://doi.org/10.9741/2766-7227.1003 
Spectra Undergraduate Research Journal 
Volume 1, Issue 1, pp. 47-55 
https://doi.org/10.9741/2766-7227.1003 
Office of Undergraduate Research 
University of Nevada, Las Vegas 
digitalscholarship.unlv.edu/spectra/ 
 
A Critical Analysis of the Body Positive Movement on Instagram: How Does it 
Really Impact Body Image? 
Ayla S. Gelsinger
1 
 
Author Affiliation:  
1
Department of Psychology, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV, USA.  
 
Abstract 
Instagram, a photo based social networking site, is one of the most popular forms of social media. The 
Body  Positive  Movement  campaign  surfaced  on  Instagram  in  2012  and  aimed  to  confront  the  unrealistic 
expectations and unrepresentative portrayals of women in popular media and advertising. The present study aimed 
to  analyze  whether  posts  that  were  tagged  #bodypositive  or  #bodypositivity  upheld  the  initial  goals  of  the 
movement by taking note of the characteristics (including race, sex, gender, and body type) of people that were 
featured in the top posts of the #bodypositive or #bodypositivity tags. Resultant fieldnotes were coded into the 
following themes: 1) Hegemonic views of beauty, 2) Homogenous properties of popular posters and posts, 3) 
Body image centered posting, 4) Crossposting, and 5) Achieving fame and gaining publicity and exposure. It was 
found that top #bodypositive or #bodypositivity posts often upheld hegemonic beauty standards that are common 
in popular media. These findings suggest that the Body Positive Movement strayed from its initial goals, thereby 
failing to provide an outlet for bodies that diverge from the ideals set by popular media. The present study suggests 
two alternative hashtags-- #effyourbeautystandards and #bodycompassion--that both represent diverse body types 
and identities while empowering women to be accepting and loving of their bodies. These tags have created a 
space where the hegemonic views of beauty are questioned and opposed, therefore succeeding in the ways that 
the Body Positive Movement is failing. 
 
Keywords: Body Positive Movement, Popular media, Hegemonic views of beauty 
 
Social  media  is  becoming  an  increasingly 
common source of daily human communication. The 
Pew Research Center offers social media statistics that 
highlight Instagram as being one of the most widely 
used social networking sites, especially amongst 18-24 
year  olds  (2019). Instagram  utilizes  image-based 
communication where users upload photos (mainly of 
themselves),  and  interact  with  images  by  way  of 
commenting and/or liking. Instagram users can follow 
anyone  including  their  peers,  brand  accounts,  and 
celebrities.  The  most  followed  Instagram  accounts 
include  musicians,  television  stars,  clothing  brands, 
and public figures (Instagram, 2020). In order to gain 
likes, comments, popularity, and a positive reputation, 
people often portray idealized versions of themselves 
on  social  networking  sites  (Bryant  et  al.,  2018; 
Cunningham et al., 2013; Fardouly et al., 2015; Gil-Or 
et  al.,  2015).  This  means  that  portrayed  images  are 
often posed, edited, touched up, and planned in order 
to present an image of perfection and effortlessness.  
Although Instagram’s content is user created in 
the sense that people choose which photos to post, each 
post is strongly influenced by the norms and standards 
set  by  popular  culture  (Bryant  et  al.,  2018).  For 
example, Instagram culture has placed a great deal of 
value  on  appearances,  which  in  turn  enforces  the 

A CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF THE BODY POSITIVE MOVEMENT 
 
 
Spectra Undergraduate Research Journal – 2021 – Volume 1, Issue 1 
48 
importance  of  the  way  one  looks  (Barbato  & 
Tiggemann, 2018). In many western cultures, thinness 
is the idealized female body type. The value placed on 
thinness is observable in much of popular culture and 
is  perpetuated  in  media  outlets  including  movies, 
television,  fashion,  and  social  networking  sites.  A 
recent  study  found  that  along  with  this  thin  ideal, 
female muscularity is also becoming an idealized trend 
(Bozsik et al., 2018). This is yet another standard that 
has been placed upon women: not only do women have 
to be thin, but also curvy, muscular, and toned (Alper 
et al., 2014). Popular media’s reinforcement of the thin 
ideal has many negative consequences for women in 
particular.  
Photo-based  social  networking  sites—like 
Instagram—lead  to  body  comparisons  of  peers, 
celebrities, and lifestyle models (Brown & Tiggemann, 
2016), meaning that people are often making upward 
comparisons  regarding  their  body.  Many  studies 
support  that  there  is  a  positive  correlation  between 
social media use and body concern (Ahadzadeh et al., 
2017;  Chock  &  Kim,  2015;  Diedrichs  et  al.,  2015; 
Tiggemann  &  Slater,  2013).  One  study  found  that 
Instagram use increased both self-objectification and 
negative body image (Fardouly et al., 2018). Not only 
does  Instagram  lead  women  toward  viewing 
themselves  as  objects,  but  it  also  increases  their 
dissatisfaction  with  their  own  body  -  which  both 
impact  self  worth.  Further,  viewing  celebrity  and 
fitness  inspiration  (#fitspiration)  images  were 
particularly  negative  for  the  internalization  of  body 
image concerns (Brown & Tiggemann, 2016; Fardouly 
et al., 2018). In  their 2018 research on body  image, 
Tiggemann  et  al.  found  that  viewing  images  that 
supported the thin ideal led to higher body and facial 
dissatisfaction compared to the viewing of “average” 
images.  They  also  found  that  the  more  a  person  is 
invested in likes, the more they compare themselves, 
their likes, and their followers to others--which has led 
to a positive correlation between investment in likes 
and increased body dissatisfaction (Tiggermann et al., 
2018).  
This  body  dissatisfaction  may  be  upheld 
through negative self-schema. A self-schema is a belief 
one  holds  about  themself  that  serves  as  a  lens  for 
information  related  to  the  self.  By  looking  at  body 
image as connected to self-schema, one study found 
that using social networking sites may lead to women 
forming  a  self-schema  of  dissatisfaction  about  their 
body image (Ahadzadeh et al., 2016). This self-schema 
is  caused  by  the  hegemonic  culture  that  repeatedly 
supports  the  thin  ideal.  After  seeing  these  images 
idealized by popular culture, it is common for women 
to internalize such standards.  
The Body Positive Movement surfaced in 2012 
to  counter  the  unrealistic  beauty  expectations  and 
unrepresentative portrayals of women in popular media 
and  advertising  (Sastre,  2014).  Because  of  the  high 
expectations  for  appearances  on  Instagram,  popular 
posts were full of idealized beauty and promoted the 
thin  ideal.  The  body  positive  hashtag  emerged  as  a 
space where people could share their unfiltered bodies 
and receive love and acceptance instead of the scrutiny 
of  mainstream  culture.  #Effyourbeautystandards  (4 
million  posts),  which  was  started  in  2013,  and 
#bodycompassion (1.9 million posts), both stand for 
similar views  but  are  significantly  less popular than 
#bodypositive and #bodypositivity.  
The fitness inspiration posting trend, often seen 
on Instagram as #fitspiration or #fitspo, are tagged on 
posts that encourage exercise and dieting or embody 
the fitness lifestyle. These tags have become widely 
popular on Instagram, with over 19 million posts. 
Since  the  Body  Positivity  Movement,  the 
success of the movement is questionable since recent 
studies suggest body image concerns are still common 
amongst social media users (Cohen et al., 2017). These 
contradictions informed the research questions for the 
current  study:  1)  Did  the  Body  Positive  Movement 
create a  space where idealized  bodies are  not at the 
forefront?  2)  Is  the  movement  holding  up  its  initial 
push for reformation? Findings of past research studies 
on Instagram and body image informed the hypothesis 
that the Body Positive Movement was falling short in 
its  efforts  to  combat  the  thin  ideal  and  unrealistic 
beauty standards.  
As a long-term social media nonuser, research 
done on the Body Positivity Movement started from a 
place of little prior knowledge. As an outsider to social 
media, there were  few  preconceived ideas about the 
movement before research began. This naïveté appears 
to  be  a  rarity  as  37%  of  all  American  adults  use 
Instagram.  Due  to  the  popularity  of  the  site,  it  is 
uncommon to experience--let alone study--its culture 
from an uninformed perspective. The objective of the 
current  research  was  to  utilize  this  lack  of  prior 

A CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF THE BODY POSITIVE MOVEMENT

Spectra Undergraduate Research Journal – 2021 – Volume 1, Issue 1

knowledge to analyze individual posts to obtain a rich

understanding about how Instagram has reinforced,

challenged, or nuanced body positive culture.

Methods

Fieldwork: The methodological approach of the

present study allowed for a common--and popular--

scene to be thoughtfully analyzed through the eyes of

an outside observer to whom everything is new,

thereby causing nothing to be viewed as “normal.” As

Tracy explains, “qualitative research is especially well

suited for accessing tacit, taken-for-granted, intuitive

understandings of culture,” (Tracy, 2020, p. 7). With

over 13 million posts, the #bodypositive hashtag is a

popular online destination, and many users likely have

tacit knowledge of its culture. When things or places

become common, they are often overlooked and

normalized. A qualitative analysis of body positive

hashtags on Instagram facilitated a holistic

understanding of a culture that is often unobserved and

provided the opportunity to observe participants as

they interact in the field.

By taking on the role of a complete witness, all

data was collected by way of unobtrusive Instagram

observations. Because of this, Instagram users were

unaware that their posts were being studied. Each

photo studied was posted on a public domain and

usernames were not recorded to protect the privacy of

the owners of the posts being examined.

The body positivity and body positive hashtags

are where most time was spent in the field observing

trends and individual top posts. Fieldwork in these two

hashtags included analyzing individual posts by taking

note of 1) the photo and its characteristics, 2) the other

tags on the post, 3) the number of likes the photo

received, and 4) the poster’s Instagram page. Noting

specifics concerning individual photos yielded data

regarding people in the photos (including their race,

sex, body type, and gender) and the circumstance of the

photo (including where the photo was taken, what else

was in the photo, and the purpose/meaning of the

photo). Looking into each hashtag that a person

included in their caption or in a comment on their photo

provided data regarding cross posting activities and led

to information about related hashtags while providing

more background knowledge on the photo and poster.

The number of likes was taken into consideration as to

understand the popularity of the poster and how well

received the post was. Examining the account of the

poster provided in depth information on their

background, the types of posts they generate, their

following, their popularity, and their general aesthetic.

#Bodypositive and #bodypositivity were further

observed for their general climate by looking anywhere

from 50-150 posts at a given time in order to find

common themes. These processes were repeated until

saturation occurred so generalizations regarding the

fieldsite as a whole could be made accurately.

Although generalizations were made, the majority of

research looked into individual posts and pages.

Alternative fieldsites on Instagram included the

fitspiration and fitspo hashtags along with

#effyourbeautystandards and #bodycompassion. Each

alternative tag was researched in order to gain a deeper

understanding of the scope of body-related hashtags.

These tags were analyzed similarly to the

#bodypositivity and #bodypositive fieldsites in order to

foster a complete understanding. During research, deep

analysis of individual photos were more commonly

made on the #effyourbeautystandards and

#bodycompassion tags compared to the #fitspiration

and #fitspo hashtags due to their more complex nature.

Data Analyzing Procedures: Data was analyzed by

way of constant comparative analysis. Codes were

continually updated and revised in order to explain

each new piece of emergent data in the most

meaningful way (Tracy, 2020).

Initial fieldnotes collected from Instagram

hashtags (#bodypositve, #bodypositivity, #fitspiration,

#fitspo, #effyourbeautystandards, and

#bodycompassion) were transcribed and condensed for

preciseness. Fieldnotes were then reviewed and

reorganized in order to detect words that were repeated

throughout, which were then highlighted to produce

first level codes. 30 pages of fieldnotes yielded 50 first

level codes. Each set of hashtags

(bodypositive/bodypositivity, fitspo/fitspiration, and

bodycompassion/effyourbeautystandards) were

separately coded in order to find recurring themes so

that comparisons between hashtags could be made. As

the focus of the current study is on #bodypositivity and

#bodypositive, the majority of data was retrieved from

these hashtags.

Prominent reoccurring first level codes for

#bodypositivity and #bodypositive included:

popularity, thinness, idealization, predominance, and

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Spectra Undergraduate Research Journal – 2021 – Volume 1, Issue 1

body-centered. Emergent first level codes from

#bodypositivity and #bodypositive were then analyzed

for common subjects and were categorized by theme,

which generated five second level codes. These themes

included: 1) Hegemonic views of beauty, 2)

Homogenous properties of popular posters and posts,

3) Body image centered posting, 4) Crossposting, and

5) Achieving fame and gaining publicity and exposure.

First level codes from #fitspiration and #fitspo

included: thinness, muscular, toned, lifestyle,

promotion, objectification, and idealized. These codes

were then categorized by theme and produced the

second level codes: 1) Promoting weight loss and

thinness, 2) Homogony of posters and posts, and 3)

Promotion of lifestyle.

First level codes from #bodycompassion and

#effyourbeautystandards were: self-love, positivity,

diversity, self-esteem, accepting, honest, personality,

proud, and bold. These codes produced the second

level themes: 1) Person-centered sharing, 2) Realistic

and honest content, and 3) Combatting unrealistic

ideals.

Results

After spending over twenty hours researching

the hashtags body positive or body positivity, common

posting themes emerged. As predicted, findings

suggest that the mission of the Body Positive

Movement on Instagram has been obstructed.

Hegemonic Views of Beauty: Hegemonic beauty

ideals are highly featured on #bodypositive and

#bodypositivity. Whether a post supported the

dominant beauty archetype depended on the sex,

gender identity, body size, ability, race, and age of the

person in the photo. Women were overwhelmingly

featured on #bodypositive and #bodypositivity,

accounting for nearly 90% of all observed posts.

Further, the culturally dominant gender identity

(cisgender) was most often represented on the top posts

of these hashtags. Self-reported transgender males or

females made up of less than twenty posts.

The most common body type pictured on the

top posts of #bodypositivity and #bodypositive hashtag

was thin. Women between the (estimated) sizes of 0-4

showed up on the hashtags more frequently than plus

sized women or women of any other body size. On any

given day, it was found that half of posts were photos

of women between these (small) sizes. Further, many

of these posts were of women with little to no body fat.

Muscular and toned frames were especially popular

compared to the ectomorph body type (naturally lean

with little to no fat or muscle). When large or plus sized

(size 12-24) women were featured in top posts, they

often met other United States beauty standards. These

women rarely had excessive body fat and were often

toned, but had a larger and curvier body type. Idealized

beauty standards such as whiteness, tanned skin, and

blonde hair were all common on body positive

hashtags. Nearly 70% of observed popular posts from

#bodypositive and #bodypositivity were of white

women. Almost all observed photos were of women

who appeared to be between the ages of 18 and 35.

Only seven of the hundreds of photos observed were of

elderly women. Further, data concludes that able-

bodied posters were by far the majority, as less than

thirty posters that had a disability, were physically

marked, or were visibly ill could be identified.

Body-Centered: Posts on #bodypositivity and

#bodypositive are most commonly of people, and the

focus of these images is mainly on the body of the

person posing for the photo. Only 10% of photos on

these hashtags were faces, foods, objects, or quotes.

Although some posts are focused on outfits and

looking good in clothes, many photos are of the body

in underwear, lingerie, or bikinis, some even without

faces. Nearly 30% of photos were of thin women in

sexualizing positions such as bending over and taking

a photo of their backside or posing erotically in

underwear. When photos were not sexual--but instead

more confident or joyful--most plus sized or larger

women were the focal point. Another relevant pattern

in data supported that when plus sized women did post

sexualized photos, they often had more than 1,000

followers.

Fame and Popularity: Top posts of #bodypositivity

and #bodypositive were comprised of both average

posters and lifestyle posters. The latter category

included popular bloggers, models, content creators,

influencers, and brand ambassadors. While some

accounts that used either of the tags embodied the

meaning of the movement in their posts, such as a

poster who aimed to increase women’s confidence or

was a female empowerment blogger, others in no way

demonstrated the views of the tags, often tagging many

women oriented hashtags without supporting the

hashtag’s values in the post.

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Cross-Posting: As mentioned previously, posts that

were tagged #bodypositive or #bodypositivity often

used other tags as well. One of the most common

hashtags that was used alongside body positive

hashtags was #fitspiration. Cross-posted

(#bodypositive and #fitspiration) images were often

from fitness lifestyle blogs or models and encouraged

working toward a fit lifestyle.

Fitness Inspiration Hashtags: Research on

#fitspiration and #fitspo revealed posting themes of the

two tags. Images that were tagged with these hashtags

were most often of muscular and toned individuals—

both male and female, but more commonly female.

Similar to the posts on #bodypositive and

#bodypositivty, fitness inspiration posts upheld people

with privilege in our society as top posts displayed

mainly able bodied, young, white individuals. Further,

most posts were body focused. Some photos were only

of one’s body with their face cut out or just of a

person’s backside, while the majority were selfies of

their face and body. Total lifestyle promotion was

common on these tags as posters often broadcasted all

aspects of their life including the foods they eat, their

workout regimens, and their body and weight. Many

posters tagged #fitspiration or #fitspo in each of their

posts as every image on their page is related to a fitness

lifestyle. Promotional posts for workout clothes,

nutrition brands, and fitness gear were common on the

tags as they are both popular communities for fitness

bloggers and individuals alike.

Body Compassion and Eff Your Beauty Standards

Hashtags: #Bodycompassion and

#Effyourbeautystandards are two lesser-known (6,000

posts combined) hashtags that relate to the initial goals

of the Body Positivity Movement. During research on

these hashtags, common themes emerged. First, photos

on #effyourbeautystandards and #bodycompassion are

person focused instead of body centered. Common

posts include: photos of just a person’s face,

empowering quotes, body image art, and food. The

majority of posts are entire body images that focus on

bold, fun outfits that the posters feel empowered and

happy wearing. Compared to #bodypositive and

#fitspiration tags, photos of people are much less

objectifying and instead convey confidence. Posts on

these two hashtags often convey realistic bodies and

are representative of a diverse community. Women

openly expose their stretch marks, cellulite, and fat in

photos. Posts are reflective of many races, genders,

cultures, body types, and sexual orientations. Although

white women are still the majority, others are

represented at higher volumes than any other

researched hashtag. These hashtags are very cohesive

and stay true to their meaning, as all posts truly seem

to work toward empowerment. Although promotions

are still present in the top posts of

#effyourbeautystandards and #bodycompassion, they

are mainly related to the content of the hashtags (plus

size clothing brands) and therefore still support the

goals of the hashtag.

Discussion

Findings regarding the prominence of

hegemonic views of beauty in the top #bodypositivity

and #bodypositive hashtags support that the Body

Positive Movement is lacking inclusivity. First, only

one prominent gender appeared on body positive

hashtags. Female bodies were most prevalent in the

#bodypositive and #bodypositivity hashtags. As

unrealistic beauty standards and expectations are

especially enforced for women, it was not a surprise

that females would be the majority within these

hashtags. Men were rarely featured in both top and

recent posts of the hashtags despite the prominent body

ideals that are present for males as well as women.

Similarly, transgender males or females were not

represented on these hashtags despite possibly facing

difficulties with their body image for not aligning with

the idealized norms. Second, thinness was a common

theme of the top posts of #bodypositive and

#bodypositivity. Despite the Body Positive

Movement’s goals of being a place where hegemonic

beauty standards were ignored, many posts supported

the thin ideal. This suggests that the Body Positive

Movement is straying from its initial goals and no

longer offers a safe space where users can move away

from standards of thinness. Third, many top posts of

the body positivity movement hashtags were

representative of the privileged people in our society.

As mentioned, top posters were overwhelmingly white,

young, and cisgendered—all people who are

institutionally privileged in the United States. One

reason that many ages are not represented on

#bodypositive and #bodypositivity could be due to

older people being present on Instagram as a whole

(Pew Research, 2019). Another reason could be that in

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our culture, becoming old is seen as unfavorable

leading to the stigmatization of wrinkles and other

signs of aging. Youthfulness, on the other hand, has

been a long-standing ideal and many posts on the

hashtags upheld this beauty standard by

overwhelmingly featuring youthful women. Another

form of privilege that was supported by observing

#bodypositive and #bodypositivity images was implied

wealth. Symbols of wealth—including name brand

clothing, lavish products, large houses, and extravagant

activities—appeared in many posts.

Findings suggest that most top posts of body

positive hashtags are body-centered. Being so body-

oriented still stresses the significance of one’s body

image instead of moving away from the importance of

appearances. This focus that Instagram places on

appearances is one cause of women’s negative body

image (Ahadzadeh et al., 2017; Chock & Kim, 2015;

Diedrichs et al., 2015; Tiggemann & Slater, 2013), so

it is interesting that the majority of posts on this counter

culture are body-centric.

Body sexualization was a prevalent theme that

arose from body positive hashtags. Past research found

that people post sexualized photos on Instagram to gain

followers and likes, and to bring attention to

themselves (Horan & Ramsey, 2018). The positive

correlation between Instagram use and self-

objectification implies that the inherent culture of

Instagram may facilitate self-objectification (Fardouly

et al., 2018). While sexualization wouldn’t be

surprising to encounter on top posts of Instagram as a

whole, sexualization showing up on body positive

hashtags implies that the general theme has shifted

from acceptance of all bodies to the emphasis of beauty

and sexiness.

Findings also suggest that cross-posting may be

one reason that the Body Positive Movement no longer

supports the meaning behind its creation. It seems that

the reason for using so many different hashtags when

the tags are unrelated to the true message of the photo

is to gain followers and exposure. As women are the

main users of the hashtags, their target audience can be

reached easily. This leads to hashtags moving away

from their true message as posters are using them on

their posts that don’t align with the hashtag’s identity.

For example, a size 00 fashion model or fitness blogger

likely fits into idealized norms of beauty, and therefore

is not challenging beauty standards; posts such as these

instead perpetuate beauty standards in a community

whose goal was to act as an antithesis to the norm. One

makeup and women’s lifestyle brand took one photo

shoot of 5 plus sized models in bikinis and posted the

photos from the same shoot over a long period of time,

while all other photos were of thin white women or

product images. It seems that some brands are using the

#bodypositive and #bodypositivity hashtags to simply

gain followers and to appear inclusive without putting

the work in. Typical users (who are not famous or

striving for fame) are often using movement as

intended, but famous users or those working toward

fame use the hashtags mainly to gain more views. This

leads to top posts being oversaturated with idealized

women, causing them to be no different from popular

posts on Instagram as a whole.

Negative body image is further perpetuated on

#fispiration and #fitspo hashtags. It was a trend for

people to look sad or disappointed in their before

photos and empowered in their after photos, which

supports the idea that being thin makes people happy.

In this way, many posts that tagged #fitspiration or

#fitspo glamorized weight loss. As findings suggest

that both thin and muscular body types were highly

featured on #bodypositive, #bodypositivity,

#fitspiration, and #fitspo, top posts suggest that our

culture is moving toward the idealization of thinness

and muscularity: thereby holding women’s bodies to

even higher standards.

The fitness inspiration hashtags are used to

encourage people to be thin, muscular, and to take part

in the fitness lifestyle, but many body types and people

are left out. Although muscularity was most often

promoted, weight loss was also endorsed in many

ways. “Inspirational” quotes such as, “Be stronger than

your excuse,” “Torn between wanting a snack and

looking like a snack,” “My hobbies include eating then

complaining I’m getting fat,” “You won’t get the ass

you want by sitting on it,” and, “Do it for looking in the

mirror and feeling good about what you see,”

(#Fitspiration) encouraged people to work out and to

stop putting off their fitness goals. Each of these quotes

has a common theme that people need to worry about

their weight. Some of these quotes even suggest that

one cannot be beautiful if they are overweight. Before

and after images show the impact of exercise and

dieting on one’s body and self-esteem. While

individual posts that tag #fitspriation may truly be

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Spectra Undergraduate Research Journal – 2021 – Volume 1, Issue 1

inspirational posts about their own success, many top

posts are simply images of thin, muscular, women in

workout gear. At which point one may wonder, is this

inspiring me to be fit or inspiring me to be dissatisfied

with my own body?

Due to cross posting between #fitspiration,

#fitspo, #bodypositive, #bodypositive, the top body

positive posts reflect goals from the fitspiration

movement: they encourage women to diet and exercise

(change their appearance) instead of accepting their

body for what it is. As mentioned previously, research

shows that #fitspiration images in particular lead to

negative body image (Fardouly et al., 2018). The Body

Positive Movement, whose goal was to improve

women’s body image, now reflects the images that lead

to negative body image due to cross-posting behavior.

While it appears that #bodypositivity and

#bodypositive have been oversaturated with idealistic

views, #bodycompassion and #effyourbeautystandards

have yet to be taken over by the hegemonic culture and

provide a strong counter to the thin ideal and body

centered focus that Instagram encourages. For these

reasons, #bodycompassion and

#effyourbeautystandards successfully embody the

powerful goals of the Body Positivity Movement,

while making improvements such as the addition of

empowerment and representation. Body compassion

inspires the love and acceptance of one’s body and

appreciates differences. Tylka et al. (2015) define body

compassion as showing “kindness and nonjudgmental

understanding” for one’s own body. In their research,

they found that having body compassion decreases the

internalization of thinness related pressures and

improves one’s body image. Body compassion is

represented in both #effyourbeautystandards and

#bodycompassion as the tags both empower and

support women to treat themselves with respect, love,

and acceptance. The embodiment of these values

suggests that viewing these images may aid in

counteracting the destructive hegemonic views of

beauty (Tylka et al., 2015).

#Effyourbeautystandards encourages people to

question beauty ideals and to empower people to love

themselves. Further, there were many mentions of

mental health and body image, which contributes to an

open discussion of an otherwise taboo subject. These

hashtags are attempting to normalize public displays of

realistic emotions and bodies, therefore moving away

from the idealization and extreme self-presentation that

occurs on Instagram.

Although the Body Positive Movement started

off as a community to combat idealized beauty

standards such as the thin ideal, research suggests that

in gaining popularity, it has moved away from its true

intentions and goals. Influencers, brands, bloggers, and

celebrities using the hashtag to gain more following

and cross-tagging from fitspiration has turned

#bodypositive and #bodypositivity into pages where

the thin ideal is upheld. Although some posts are still

true to the initial goals of the movement, the majority

of posts are not. Representation of different cultures,

races, gender identities, sexual orientations, and

abilities are lacking, as many types of people are left

out of the tags. Further, popular posts on these hashtags

place focus on women’s bodies instead of focusing on

other qualities.

Future research could be improved by

increasing participation in the field, therefore

interacting with posters and followers of the researched

hashtags. Interviewing participants who use Instagram

would also provide further and deeper understanding

of the Body Positivity Movement, as the movement’s

impact on individuals could be discussed. Participants

could also be asked to analyze the top posts of body

positive hashtags, which could provide information on

how Instagram users make sense of the movement.

The present research discusses which online

communities promote healthy views of one’s body and

which do not. By providing a rich description of the

inequities and successes of different body related

movements on Instagram, this research contributes to

the creation of a more constructive body image culture.

Conclusion

The Body Positive Movement (#bodypositive

and #bodypositivity) went from being a somewhat

obscure hashtag in 2012 to becoming a popularized

concept with over thirteen million posts in 2020. The

Body Positive Movement’s goals have been hindered

by the large number of posts that uphold the thin ideal,

therefore not challenging unrealistic mainstream norms

and standards of beauty. The hashtags of the Body

Positive Movement lack diversity, as the majority of

top posts represent able-bodied, young, and white

women. Furthermore, these hashtags have been taken

over by the mainstream culture, which has moved the

A CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF THE BODY POSITIVE MOVEMENT

Spectra Undergraduate Research Journal – 2021 – Volume 1, Issue 1

tags away from their initial intentions and goals.

#Bodycompassion and

#effyourbeautystandards are both body-image related

tags that work toward empowering women to be

accepting and loving of their bodies. These tags have

created a space where the hegemonic views of beauty

are questioned and opposed; therefore, succeeding in

the ways that the Body Positive Movement failed.

Instagram enforces self-presentation and

idealistic beauty through its image-based platform

(Barbato & Tiggemann, 2018). Since the culture of

Instagram has proven to be unhealthy for one’s body

image and mental health, it is important to find a space

where one feels accepted and appreciated (Ahadzadeh

et al., 2017; Chock & Kim, 2015; Diedrichs et al.,

2015; Tiggemann & Slater, 2013).

Both #bodycompassion and

#effyourbeautystandards are spaces where destructive

values, thinness related pressures, and damaging

expectations are boldly disregarded and where

empowerment and body confidence thrive. These tags

are safe spaces where those who diverge from the ideal

are free to be themselves without filtering out “flaws.”

If more Instagram users begin following and standing

for the values that are upheld on these tags, Instagram

may become a healthier and more inclusive

environment.

Acknowledgements

Thank you, Dr. Carlos Flores, for providing

mentorship during the entirety of this study. It was

challenging to spend so much time on social media, but

you were always there to help me debrief. Dr. Natalie

Pennington, thank you for providing support and

mentorship during the publishing of this article--I

could not have done it without you.

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