Demi Lovato hasn’t been shy about discussing the ways that her eating disorder ravaged her health in the past.
These days, she’s a powerful proponent of self-care, self-love, and body positivity.
And she’s sharing some revealing, no-nonsense photos of her own body to remind fans of how important it can be to embrace their “flaws.”
Demi Lovato shared an image of her pulling at the skin of her own abdomen, writing:
“Stretch marks and extra fat and yet I still love myself.”
Before you try to argue that she is not in any way fat — which is true — it is important to remember that eating disorders can strike all body types.
Demi has a slightly more solid build than many of her peers in the entertainment industry, and that was for years a source of self-destructive behavior and self-loathing for her.
Now, she’s learning to love her incredible, gorgeous body for what it is.
She continued to share these images on Instagram, writing:
“Cellulite and yet I still love myself.”
Before anyone points out that they don’t see the cellulite to which she is referring, she writes:
“The boomerang smoothed out my legs.”
Various phones and apps alter images in subtle ways that are designed to be flattering; she wasn’t being hypocritical, folks.
She continues, writing:
“The point is, I have cellulite just like the other 93% of women do.”
There are certain biological differences that make cisgender women store fat in certain ways that can be conspicuous. That should never be a source of shame.
“What you see on Instagram isn’t always what it seems to be. Let’s embrace our real selves. #iloveme.”
That’s such a powerful message.
Demi continued her body positive message, writing.
“No thigh gap for me and yet I still love myself.”
Thigh gaps weren’t even a topic of mainstream conversation until several years ago, when a number of people suddenly decided that they gave women bragging rights.
Perhaps it was because larger butts were coming into fashion, and people who wanted to find ways to body-shame others hoped to find a way to distinguish between otherwise slender people with ample “peaches” and people whose whole bodies were curvy.
No, it doesn’t make sense or sound fair. Body-shaming is the worst.
Demi shared this photo of her thighs as a reminder that beauty comes in a lot of forms.
Her body-positive message may help to save the lives of fans who are war with their own image.
Recently, Demi Lovato celebrated six years of sobriety while on stage.
Getting sober was just part of her journey to restore her health and live her best life.
It’s beautiful to see how far she’s come, particularly considering that she wanted to kill herself as young as age 7.
Demi Lovato is gorgeous, but that does not in any way make her perceived “flaws” the body equivalent of “first world problems.”
She is still unlearning old, terrible society beauty standards.
And she’s passing on these valuable lessons to her fans.
She’s sharing some gorgeous photos in the process. Everybody wins.
