27 People Share Body Positive Content That Has Greatly Influenced How They See Themselves

"I think she was one of the first women I saw in mainstream media that looked like me."

Recently, we asked the BuzzFeed Community to "tell us what body positive movie, TV show, or book positively impacted your relationship with your own body." Here are some of the most inspiring responses.

Note: Submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.

1. High School Musical: The Musical: The Series

Disney+ / Via giphy.com

"No body type on the show is deemed as 'fat,' and everyone just embraces each character's uniqueness."

—enyah48

2. Good in Bed by Jennifer Weiner

Washington Square Press / Via Amazon

"I was going through such a bad breakup when I started reading it, and it made me feel like I could do anything and be sexy no matter what size I am."

—ag1992

3. Divine and Edith Massey in Female Trouble

Courtesy Everett Collection

"From start to finish, they just own it. They’re like, 'I'm hot, and you’re just gonna have to deal with it.'"

—stephaniesezz

4. More Than a Body by Lindsay and Lexie Kite

HMH Books / Via Amazon

"I’m saving this book for my child."

—menakjulia

5. Rupi Kaur's poem:

Getty

"This reminds me that society and other people do not have the power or the right to tell me whether or not I am beautiful. Beautiful is how I feel. It is dictated by me."

—Anonymous

6. Callie Torres in Grey's Anatomy

ABC / Via giphy.com

"Beautiful, curvy, and a badass surgeon. I constantly felt like people would see me as less competent because I wasn't fitting my ideal self-image. I appreciated having a role model to remind myself that my body type does not make me less brilliant or capable."

—limengcha

7. The Body Is Not an Apology: The Power of Radical Self-Love by Sonya Renee Taylor

Berrett-Koehler Publishers / Via Amazon

"The title comes from a story in the book where a person had unprotected sex with someone even though she didn't want to. But because her body wasn't perfect, she thought she owed the guy a favor or an apology in some way to make up for it. I hate that I can absolutely relate to that."

—Anonymous

8. Real Women Have Curves

LaVoo Productions / Via giphy.com

"The whole movie changed how I viewed myself and helped me deal with my low self-esteem and body image issues as a teenager."

—bonitaapple1

9. That's So Raven

Disney+ / Via giphy.com

"I’m over weight and have a large chest, and it was great as a kid watching her on TV."

—jacquiet40f2a5b60

10. Dumplin' and Puddin' by Julie Murphy

HarperCollins / Via Amazon

"They have such a positive feel and are about defying what society thinks are only for 'skinny and perfect' people."

—stargirl64

11. The Mindy Project Season 3, Episode 21

Hulu / Via giphy.com

"There's a scene where Mindy looks in the mirror and says that she sees, 'Two hot Black girls and a fat load in a tracksuit.' Sheena tells her, 'That's cold. If the person in the mirror was your best friend, would you be as mean to her as you're being to yourself?'"

—monikap6

12. Lena Dunham on Girls

HBO / Via giphy.com

"Seeing her hook up with really attractive, skinny men gave me so much confidence. I was on dating apps at the time and would only swipe on people I thought would accept bigger girls. But after seeing Girls, I just swiped right on whoever I wanted to." 

—tesf9

13. What We Don't Talk About When We Talk About Fat by Aubrey Gordon

Beacon Press / Via Amazon

"Life changing, must read, should be required reading, etc. Her podcast Maintenance Phase is also AMAZING."

—michellef41b5d3838

14. RuPaul's Drag Race

VH1 / Via giphy.com

"The whole show just represents all different sizes, colors, shapes, and genders. They’re all celebrated for being different, but no one is ever treated differently, and I just find that amazing. You just feel part of a massive family, even as a fan."

—jeavers

15. Crazy Ex-Girlfriend

The CW / Via giphy.com

"Seeing a main character with a body similar to mine was eye-opening. They also talked about mental health really well."

—constanzaalarconraddatz

16. Dietland by Sarai Walker

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt / Via penguinrandomhouse.com

"I haven't seen the series, but the book blew my mind. It really helped me get out of the mindset that I can only do things once I've lost X amount of weight."

—Kadilly

17. Shrill

Hulu / Via giphy.com

"I sobbed watching Aidy Bryant’s character start to let go and have fun while in a swimsuit. I felt seen and understood in a way that I never had while watching a show or movie, and that’s when I decided to actively try to view my body as a blessing and not something that I needed to be ashamed of."

—Anonymous

18. My Mad Fat Diary

"It looks at mental health, body image, feminism, and more in a really touching way with strong writing and brilliant acting."

—hallsarah388

19. Sailor Moon

Toei Animation Co., Ltd. / Via giphy.com

"It literally changed my life. For me, mostly it was the fact that the show revolved around a bunch of fashionable teenage girls who embraced their femininity and kicked ass at the same time. I was extremely insecure about my body and my weight and how I looked, especially having just started puberty. Sailor Moon helped me embrace being a girl, and it improved my confidence, my ability to form friendships with other girls, and my sense of right and wrong."

—squish37

20. Wake Up, I'm Fat! by Camryn Manheim

Broadway Books / Via Amazon

"We are all so much more than our jean size."

—itsmejenn

21. Yolk by Mary H.K. Choi

Simon & Schuster / Via Amazon

"I was coming to terms with my eating disorder and negative body image, and her book was incredible."

—1kirakitty

22. I Feel Pretty

STX Entertainment / Via giphy.com

"Ever since watching that movie, I've vowed to myself to make a conscious effort to be more loving of my body for what it is and what it does for me, and to listen to it so I can take [care] of it properly."

—Anonymous 

23. Health at Every Size: The Surprising Truth About Your Weight by Lindo Bacon

BenBella Books / Via Amazon

"It helped me understand the science of health and the politics of fatphobia."

—emmamarie8724

24. Drop Dead Diva

"The protagonist, Jane, is an actual role model of mine. She’s the whole package! Her journey to owning who she is and her growth in self-confidence always makes me feel uplifted."

—jessicam41c056c1c

25. Rutherford Falls

PeacockTV / Via giphy.com

"Reagan is overweight, but that's not the point of the show. Her motivations, charms — even her flaws and conflicts have nothing to do with her weight. It's refreshing to see an overweight main character work through storylines that have nothing to do with their weight."

26. Happy Fat: Taking Up Space in a World That Wants to Shrink You by Sofie Hagen

HarperCollinsUK / Via Amazon

"It made me realize how much fatphobia is accepted. It’s rooted in racism, and it’s exploitation for commercial diet culture. It made me realize why I used to feel bad about myself. Not anymore though!"

—Anonymous

27. Jane the Virgin

The CW / Via giphy.com

"Jane had a curvy body! I think she was one of the first women I saw in mainstream media that looked like me. She had curves and took care of her body and did so confidently."

—Anonymous