Thankfully we are starting to see more and more body types represented in the media, but we still have a long way to go in how we talk about body positivity. That’s why we love this honest and powerful video from British model Olivia Campbell, in which she tells us exactly how we should think about the word fat: It’s just a word. “It’s something I couldn’t change, but I tried to change because I was told to change it all the time,” she says, “but now I call myself fat all the time. I am fat.”
The video is almost 10 minutes long but worth every second. Campbell describes her struggles with body image, mental health, and parenthood—and how she’s come to love her body. Throughout the video Campbell undresses, taking off one article of clothing at time, making her emotional story even more powerful. If you skip to 5:35, you can hear Campbell talk about her own battle with depression, which she describes as feeling like being stuck in quicksand, even though you’re using all your mental, physical, and emotional energy to get out.
We’re so inspired by her emotional story, awesome confidence, and dedication to teaching all of us about body image and mental health.
You can check out other powerful accounts of self-acceptance from the What’s Underneath Project here.
