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Iskra Lawrence Slams ‘Toxic Diet Culture’ and ‘Unrealistic Beauty Ideals’ on Instagram: ‘Education Comes From Balance’
She’s done keeping quiet. Model Iskra Lawrence took to Instagram to share her thoughts on body-shaming and diet culture in modeling, advertising and the mainstream at large. The 28-year-old posted side-by-side shots of herself years prior and now to illustrate the toll that fixating on one perfect body type can have.
“I’m disgusted that people/companies profit off of toxic diet culture, a perfected unrealistic beauty ideal, (including Photoshop) and promoting that health looks like one thing,” the plus-size babe began her lengthy caption on August 16. “Millions of us have been and still are fighting our eating disorders, seeing Weight Watchers targeting children — showing before and afters, congratulating restrictive guilt-ridden eating [behaviors] is awful and heartbreaking.”
The model highlighted a recently introduced campaign by Weight Watchers intending to recruit younger users, before continuing. “Yes I believe in wellness, but that education comes from balance, intuitive eating and understanding that health is so much more than just hitting a certain weight or being skinny,” she wrote.
“Society and many diet promoters would say the pic of me as a teen on the left was healthier because I was slimmer. But that’s incorrect because only I knew how unhealthy my mindset and eating/exercise was,” she referenced the editorial shot of herself years back. “I didn’t care about my health and well-being I cared about thigh gaps and goal measurements.”
According to the blonde beauty, she’s in a better place now despite her weight gain. “But now, I’m wayyyyyyy healthier even if I’m heavier and have more fat on my body,” she wrote. “I have a balanced life, I eat without guilt and shame, I don’t restrict, I love eating, cooking and I nourish my body with the fuel it needs and the exercise it deserves.”
“Your body is your home. When you love it, you want to look after and care for it,” she explained. “That doesn’t mean you can’t change or fluctuate because we evolve and grow, that doesn’t mean you don’t want to be the best version of yourself, it’s whatever you feel you want to do and be.”
She closed out her post with some helpful information about NEDA, the National Eating Disorder Association, for any followers who might need it. Plus, she included the hashtags “#loveyou,” “#thankyoubody,” “#eatingdisorderawareness,” and “#selflove.”
“If you’re confused about your relationship with food and or your body, check out the free online NEDA screening tool,” she concluded. “They also have a ton of free resources online and maybe it’s a loved one that may need help, so make sure you’re there for them and learning to be understanding and supportive.”
