LOLZLetter 326 | Body Image, Thinness, and Who Gets the Mic
Welcome,
I'm putting the newsletter out earlier due to Memorial Day. I've actually thought about changing the day it comes out to Saturday or Sunday (if I'm being honest, my Mondays are chaotic trying to get to work on time...this happens every Monday). The more I write about topics that truly interest me, the more I want to make sure it’s not rushed to submit and go.
This Monday, however, I'm running Bolder Bolder and getting on airplane, so it will be equally as chaotic just in a different way.
So if you have strong opinions either way on a day the newsletter should come out, let me know.
Let’s talk about the way some fitness influencers talk about their bodies. Long term followers know I have a degree in community health and studied this 15 years ago, but whew thank goodness we are in a different era then the diet culture that was the 90s/2000s.
More specifically, the trend of thin fitness and running creators grabbing a skin, calling it a “roll,” and posting it to Instagram with captions like, bodies change, everyone has rolls, etc. Or the trend of creators doing before and afters where I have the same body as the before. (Like what??). I see time and time again already thin influencers posting before and afters of them getting into sports.
Here’s the thing. I know that everyone has their own relationship with their body, and I’m not here to invalidate that.
Body dysmorphia is real.
Insecurity is real.
And yes, even people in smaller bodies can struggle with body image (sometimes even more so).
But there’s a huge difference between processing your own experience and packaging it as relatable content...especially when you already exist in a body that’s widely praised and accepted in the fitness world.
By most accounts, I have a "runner’s body." I'm not an XS, and I've been different weights throughout my adult years. Like anyone, I've struggled with body image from time to time.
But when you’re a size XXS holding up a sliver of stomach skin and labeling it body fat, that’s not inclusive. It’s not radical. And it’s not comforting to people who actually live in larger, less socially celebrated bodies. In fact, it can be incredibly alienating. Oftentimes, someone who is an influencer is privileged to have plenty of time to train and minimal responsibilities. Many have genetics that fall on the thinner side (note: I'm definitely not saying everyone).
If the goal is to celebrate body diversity, then the spotlight shouldn’t always be on the thinnest voices in the room. Especially not when those voices are constantly being amplified by brands, engagement algorithms, and followers who reward performative vulnerability over actual representation.
The problem isn’t that someone feels insecure in their body. That’s human. The problem is presenting that insecurity in a way that erases or belittles people with objectively different experiences. It’s calling something “brave” when it’s still comfortably within the boundaries of what society already accepts. When you post a contorted photo holding a piece of "body fat", it doesn't hit the mark.
Let’s be real: body fat doesn’t look the same on everyone. What feels like a drastic change or visible “bloat” to one person might be someone else’s starting point. When an influencer says, “I gained 10 pounds and I’m finally embracing my body,” while still weighing less than most recreational runners, what are we supposed to take from that? When someone touts all of their bloating but still has a six-pack of abs, that isn't relatable.
This kind of content might come from a place of honesty, but the delivery misses the mark. It often lacks the awareness of how it lands for the majority of people watching...people who don’t see themselves represented, who are tired of constantly being told they’re not the “right” kind of fit. That's not to say the sentiment is invalid, but it's missing the mark that an influencer may think they are hitting.
The Feedback loop:
And let’s not ignore the feedback loop. Influencers post this content, the comments pour in from those with similar bodies (“You’re so inspiring!” “Thanks for being real!”), and the cycle continues. But the people who feel hurt by it? They’re rarely the ones engaging publicly (or their comments are deleted). They’re the ones scrolling away quietly, wondering what kind of “body positivity” this is.
There’s also a major difference between expressing personal feelings about your body and turning it into a curated moment for praise. We’ve all seen the captions “Normalize rolls!” paired with a hyper-filtered reel and a physique that, let’s be honest, already fits the mold.
When you have to contort yourself just to find a “roll,” that should be a clue: maybe this message isn’t yours to lead.
None of this is to say that thin people should stay silent about body image. But with influence comes responsibility. I've already babbled about that in another newsletter. If you want to talk about struggles with your body, fine. But maybe don’t hashtag it as body positivity. Maybe don’t frame it as universal. And maybe... just maybe...make space for the people whose stories actually challenge the norms. Share their work.
Because right now, a lot of this “realness” still centers the same types of bodies: thin, white, able-bodied, conventionally attractive. It’s not representation. It’s a rerun. And when those same voices claim to be “doing it for the community,” it becomes clear who that community actually includes and who it doesn’t. It also becomes clear it's for head pats, likes, and comments.
At the end of the day, social media isn’t real life. But it shapes how we view ourselves and each other. When the people getting brand deals and applause for “embracing all bodies” already live in societally approved bodies, it sends a pretty clear message: you can be body positive, but only if you’re still thin.
We deserve better.
We deserve to see athletes in all body types celebrated without qualifiers. We deserve to have conversations about body image that aren’t rooted in comparison or thinly veiled self-congratulation. And we deserve honesty that doesn’t come at the expense of other people’s dignity.
If you’re going to talk about your body, think about who’s watching. Think about who might be hurt by your words, even if your intentions are good. Think about whether you’re actually creating space or just taking up more of it.
Body image is complicated. But it’s even more complicated when people try to make their experience the default for everyone else. And it’s okay to say that something feels off. It’s okay to want more from the people we follow. In fact, it’s necessary.
Because body positivity isn’t about loving your abs a little more. It’s about creating a space where all bodies... not just the conveniently curated ones... can exist without shame.
What does true representation in fitness media actually look like?
True representation means showing a range of bodies...different sizes, races, genders, abilities, and ages...without centering thinness as the default. It means moving beyond the token “curvy runner” post during a campaign and making space for people whose bodies genuinely challenge societal norms. Real representation doesn’t just include these bodies...it celebrates them. It doesn’t ask them to apologize, explain, or fit into a palatable narrative. It just lets them be.
If you're an influencer, it means sharing other people's work (and yes, this is something I'm actively working on).
How can brands do a better job at uplifting underrepresented bodies in their campaigns?
Brands need to go beyond surface-level inclusion. That means hiring athletes of all sizes for long-term partnerships, not just one-off “diversity” campaigns. It means letting people speak in their own voices, rather than forcing them into feel-good scripts about “confidence” that make the brand look progressive. And it means shifting the focus from appearance-based praise to performance, passion, and lived experience.
Representation isn’t just who’s in the photo...it’s who gets the mic, the contracts, and the room to exist without being labeled as brave for simply showing up.
As always, I appreciate your thoughts!
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You nailed it, Hollie!! This message needs to be out there!!!
I appreciate this & hope folks take it as something to thoughtfully reflect on. Even if we don’t have thousands of followers, what we post does still have a circle of influence.