Why I created the Body Positive Alliance

Content warning: This blog contains language that pertains to eating disorders.

Growing up, I was a tall, skinny kid — I didn’t struggle intensely with body image. I was a competitive swimmer, had a large appetite, and loved fashion. Middle school saw its fair share of statement pieces.

In 2017, I was prescribed to wear a back brace for my scoliosis. One year later, I was allowed to stop wearing it. Underneath that brace, my body had changed immensely, partly due to muscle atrophy but also to puberty. I no longer had a toned stomach, and I had stretch marks developing on my thighs — I was distraught. None of the women I idolized on social media or t.v. shows displayed the same characteristics. 

When I started high school in 2018, I developed two eating disorders: binge eating disorder and orthorexia. I suffered through the restrict-binge cycle for nearly two years. I perceived myself as the sole ugly and abnormal-looking teenager. 

In the fall of 2019, I tried recovery. It was unsuccessful, but it was during that time that I felt inspired to create a Body Positive Alliance (BPA) at my high school. I preached self-love, anti-diet culture, and self-acceptance, but ultimately, I couldn’t absorb those messages on a personal level.

I started my successful recovery in March of 2020. In May, I decided that I wanted to expand my message somehow, and the first thing I thought to do was expand the BPA. I put it on the back-burner for some time, focusing primarily on advocacy through my own social media platforms until I felt prepared to develop a global alliance.

I’m not overly tech-savvy, hence my prior disposition, but soon, I set to work creating a website, logo, and resources for this alliance.

What was once a local passion project developed into a global entity advocating for inclusivity, eating disorder recovery, and positive body image. The body-positive movement deserves recognition across all cultures, countries, and communities; Body Positive Alliance is dedicated to ensuring that at the high school, collegiate, and corporate levels through a chapter system.

We all deserve to feel confident — comfortable, at a minimum — regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, or body type. I created this alliance to help people of all ages recognize their beauty, but also to not limit themselves to it. We’re deserving of self-love on all accounts. We have thoughts, feelings, and ideas — possessing qualities that lead us through life. I strongly believe that we need to appreciate ourselves entirely.

If you’ve felt similarly to my past self, know that you’re not alone. Recovery and self-acceptance are not always linear, but they are possible.

I encourage you to register your own chapter. Our mission matters. Your voice matters; it has impact and deserves to be heard. It’s time to take action!