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Body Positive: A Guide to Loving Your Body
What does it mean to be beautiful? How can a girl embrace and develop her individuality and unique qualities when the world is constantly comparing her to the plastic perfection of Barbie? Body Positive: A Guide to Loving Your Body is the number one resource for young adult women who desire to redefine and understand true beauty. Focusing on correct body image, self-improvement, thinspiration, mental health, bullying, sexual harassment, and more, Body Positive is packed with introspective questions, guided activities, and inspiring, un-retouched photographs that display the bodies of real, everyday women. Body Positive is a helpful, informative and inspirational guide that will help any girl transcend society’s standards.
208 pages, Paperback
First published January 5, 2021
6 people are currently reading
1852 people want to read
About the author
Emily Lauren Dick
4 books25 followersEmily Lauren Dick is a multi-passionate, feminist creative marketer who helps women stand out online without burning out.
As an accomplished web designer, brand strategist, and published author, she knows a thing or twenty about helping women-owned businesses grow their online presence, wealth, and impact in the world (because women do good stuff with their money) while confidently taking up space online.
Her writing and expertise have been featured in Glamour, Today’s Parent, Scary Mommy, and many other media publications.
Follow Emily on Instagram @bootstrappedwoman
Visit her website at www.bootstrappedwoman.com
As an accomplished web designer, brand strategist, and published author, she knows a thing or twenty about helping women-owned businesses grow their online presence, wealth, and impact in the world (because women do good stuff with their money) while confidently taking up space online.
Her writing and expertise have been featured in Glamour, Today’s Parent, Scary Mommy, and many other media publications.
Follow Emily on Instagram @bootstrappedwoman
Visit her website at www.bootstrappedwoman.com
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
November 23, 2025
Too fat. Too thin. Too emotional. Too robotic. Too sexy. Too prudish. Too bossy. Too meek.
From the media to your friends to your family - I don't think a single woman in our era could possibly escape some sort of body image problem.
I know I've been quietly dealing with a few of my own ever since I hit elementary school.
This book - Body Positive - seeks to explain and showcase what women think about all sorts of common body image issues - like "Thinspiration" or "Mental Health" or "Sexual Harassment".
Each section of the book begins a photo of a woman (sans makeup), followed by a quick blurb that describes what the issue is and its potential effects.
From there, women from all walks of life weigh in on the issue. Each chapter ended with a self-reflection activity that you could do alone or with your friends.
One thing that I liked was how varied the women's perspectives were - there was a balance to their introspections.
Each issue would have some people who were hugely affected, some who were moderately or mildly as well. Sometimes the women would talk about how they were directly impacted by an issue and sometimes they would speak of how people they knew were affected.
This was a book that I found fascinating...and sometimes really, really hard to read. There were things that I identified so closely with and other topics that I felt like I learned a ton about.
Two thumbs up.
With many thanks to Familius Publishing for sending this one my way
February 18, 2021
I found this to be a valuable read. Admittedly, it was hard to digest at some times. I have often struggled with body image throughout my entire life, and reading about it is equally uplifting as it is draining.
This is an important read for girls of all ages, which will help them along the road of self-acceptance.
This is an important read for girls of all ages, which will help them along the road of self-acceptance.
January 2, 2021
A must read for all the young women in your life and a reminder for those of us not so young anymore, to stop accepting an unrealistic media portrayal of the perfect female form. Powerful messages in this easy to read book. If you want your daughters to grow up with a good self-image, give them this book.
November 3, 2023
“Body Positive: A Guide to Loving Your Body” is a nonfiction book written to young adult women looking to redefine what beauty is instead of accepting how society defines beauty. Author Emily Lauren Dick aims to empower readers to understand beauty through showing un-retouched photos showing women with various body types. “Body Positive: A Guide to Loving Your Body” is not only meant to be read by young adult women but by their families as well as a way to learn how to reject society’s standards of beauty in exchange of beauty that is more inclusive and reflective of one’s culture.
The book consists of a dedication, introduction, ten chapters, a final note from the author, a glossary, and notes.
Prior to the book dedication, Dick makes it clear to the reader that no Photoshop techniques (such as liquify or skin retouching) were used on the images of the women photographed. Likewise, the only adjustments made to the women’s photographs were background and lighting adjustments. Dick also provides a disclaimer and that the information in this book is general and should not replace by a qualified professional.
In the dedication, Dick dedicates her book to every young girl struggling to love her body as well as the young women who were photographed and interviewed for the book. Dick ends the book’s dedication by providing a definition of a term that will be used often throughout the book which is “average girl” and defines an “average girl” as a umbrella term meaning to represent all girls who feel that their bodies don’t fit society’s standards but are nonetheless unique.
The introduction begins with a quote by actress/model Marilyn Monroe followed by Dick speaking directly to the female reader about how society and media makes it nearly impossible for girls to develop a positive body image. The author shares with the reader the motivation behind becoming a professional body image expert because she has been affected by the challenges of having a poor body image her whole life. The author’s purpose is writing “Body Positive: A Guide to Loving Your Body” is to help girl understand the role that media plays in creating and perpetuating unattainable beauty standards. I appreciated that Dick clearly explains the different sections of each chapter including a section focusing on a crucial topic impacting young women before ending with a “Getting to Know You” section which provides questions for reader self-reflection, “Chapter at a Glance” which provides a summary of important points made in the chapter, and “Average Girls” which features real girls’ opinions and observations in their own words.
In Chapter one, “Body Image and Learning the Way,” Dick defines terms such as body image and media followed by highlighting that society’s current beauty ideals are impossible to achieve. Although the media show a variety of different types of men, this is not the case for women-especially regarding body size. Unfortunately, when larger female bodies are represented, they are often shown as the fat, funny friends instead of taking the lead role. Due to continued images of thinness being equated to beauty and increased use of photo editing software like Photoshop, many girls don’t feel comfortable describing themselves as beautiful. I was shocked to read that body dissatisfaction among girls can start in girls as young as six years old. Dick shares how toys such as dolls are meant to teach girls their role in society instead can create body image issues. Liked the information table “If Barbie Were Real” in that helps readers to understand that Barbie was not meant to be a human goal to aspire to. Dick also examines the message Barbie and similar dolls are sending to young girls through their clothing and sends a message that a woman’s ultimate goal is to be sexually attractive to get male attention. Dick ends the chapter by encouraging adult readers of this book to be body neutral if they don’t feel body positive and focus on nurturing self-esteem in young girls versus focusing on physical standards.
Chapter two, “The Media,” Dick focuses on how the media profits off of developing insecurity in girls and shares the sobering statistic that a mere 5 percent of North American females have their body type portrayed in the media. Dick also highlights in this chapter that through the media creating dissatisfaction in young girls, this leads to an increase in buying beauty products, clothes, and diets products. Imbalanced media images create a false narrative that thin and beautiful are the same as healthy which is untrue.
Chapter three, “Self-Improvement,” focuses on how poor body image during childhood can lead to some teen girls having eating disorders, becoming depressed, having low self-esteem and being bullied. Dick discusses the viscous cycle of media exposure which involves comparing your body to women in the media then seeking out self-improvement measures to “fix” what the media says is wrong with you leading to more media consumption. I was sad to read that in the 1970s, the average age when girls began to diet was fourteen while in the 1990s, the average age when girls begin to diet is eight. Dick discusses the perils of dieting in young girls as well as the use of cosmetics to hide insecurities.
Chapter four, “Self-Comparison and Fat Talk,” Dick focuses on “fat talk” and how harmful it can be in passing unrealistic beauty and body ideals to the next generation. A statement that really resonated with me in this chapter was that “It’s important for us to find ways to express our true feelings-and fat is not a feeling!” By displaying alternative representations of women in the media, this can start to undo the damage of impossible beauty standards and change its effect on Average Girls. There is more than one acceptable body type.
Chapter five, “Thinspiration,” introduces the word “Thiinspiration” which is the use of images, slogans, and quotes to inspire women to lose weight to obtain the thin body ideal as well as “Fitspiration” which had a similar focus on inspiring women to do punishing exercises to obtain the fit body ideal. Dick shares with the reader the dangers of using thinspiration images as motivation such as being used as aids to those with eating disorders. Also mentioned in this chapter are and pro-ana and pro-mia online communities which promote anorexia and bulimia as normal and a lifestyle choice rather than a mental illness. While some view thinspiration and fitspiration images as inspirational, in reality, these images do more hard than good and Dick implores the reader to advocate for promoting images of healthier, more diverse body types.
Chapter six, “Mental Health,” focuses on how negative or poor body image can cause depression in some girls. Eating disorders are also discussed more in depth in this chapter and as was shocked and saddened to learn that eating disorders can start in girls as early as five or six years old. It was interesting to learn about eating disorders including anorexia, bulimia, body dysmorphia, binge eating, and lesser mentioned disorders such as anorexia athletica and orthorexia. I agree with Dick that society needs to focus less on being thin and sexy and more on being healthy and confident regardless of body size or shape.
Chapter seven, “Bullying and Sexual Harassment,” Dick focuses on how a byproduct of low self-esteem and body dissatisfaction can lead to bullying of others. It is interesting to learn terms such as “relational aggression” which is when a bully doesn’t physically injure a victim but instead harms her by damaging her relationships and social status.
Cyberbullying is also discussed which involves online harassment via social media, websites, email, or texting. Unfortunately with increased access to the internet, little can be done to control what happens to images and texts once they’re shared and additionally, anyone can say anything about someone with little or no consequences. Some cyberbullies attack others online since the anonymity of the internet makes it an easier place to type mean things to a person rather than say it to them in person.
Sexual harassment is also discussed, and Dick explains that sexual harassment by boys is a way to establish their maleness to their peers. Dick provides helpful readers with tips on what to do if someone is bullying, sexually harassing, or has assaulted them including knowing that what happened is wrong and not their fault, keeping a record, and telling someone you trust.
Chapter eight, “Body Image and Self-Esteem,” focuses on separating body image from self-esteem. Dick defines body image as your mental picture of your body while self-esteem is your judgement about yourself. Unfortunately, most girls base their self-esteem only on their body image. When body image becomes more important than anything else in life, this can interfere with your self-esteem. How family and friends treat girls help in building self-esteem as well as determining her self-worth. Without healthy self-esteem, a girl may find value from only her appearance.
Chapter nine, “What to Look for in the Media,” focuses on providing female readers with questions to consider regarding the media they consume and are exposed to. Dick highlights how media including television, movies, music videos, magazines, blogs, the internet, cosmetics fashion products, and advertising can perpetuate and reinforce a negative body image. In this chapter, I liked how Dick alternates examples of media followed by thought provoking questions for the reader.
Chapter ten, “Changing How You Think: Ten Steps to Loving Your Body,” focuses on providing the reader with ten steps to loving their body by forgiving themselves for past judgment and comparison to others and Dick suggests the reader redefine their identity by challenging normal methods of thinking. Dick encourages the reader to think critically, listen to their body, surrounding themselves with supportive people, set realistic goals and give thanks to their body. Additional suggestions to help readers love their body include treat themselves to an activity they enjoy, dress for comfort, encourage themselves and others, and lastly, when in doubt, read this book to feel better about themselves.
In a final note from the author, Dick shows vulnerability to the reader by sharing four photos of her in various stages of life including being pregnant and four months postpartum. Dick ends the book by encouraging the reader to be proud of what you body can do and how it adapts to life changes then thanks all of the women who participated in the making in the book.
As I finished reading the book, I loved seeing the variety of happy women embracing their bodies. Although the book is full of relevant information., heavy use of the word “Photoshop” might make some younger readers feel disconnected from the book. To me, this is an informative and inclusive book that should be required for not only young women but anyone who interacts with young girls as well as adult women struggling with poor body image.
The book consists of a dedication, introduction, ten chapters, a final note from the author, a glossary, and notes.
Prior to the book dedication, Dick makes it clear to the reader that no Photoshop techniques (such as liquify or skin retouching) were used on the images of the women photographed. Likewise, the only adjustments made to the women’s photographs were background and lighting adjustments. Dick also provides a disclaimer and that the information in this book is general and should not replace by a qualified professional.
In the dedication, Dick dedicates her book to every young girl struggling to love her body as well as the young women who were photographed and interviewed for the book. Dick ends the book’s dedication by providing a definition of a term that will be used often throughout the book which is “average girl” and defines an “average girl” as a umbrella term meaning to represent all girls who feel that their bodies don’t fit society’s standards but are nonetheless unique.
The introduction begins with a quote by actress/model Marilyn Monroe followed by Dick speaking directly to the female reader about how society and media makes it nearly impossible for girls to develop a positive body image. The author shares with the reader the motivation behind becoming a professional body image expert because she has been affected by the challenges of having a poor body image her whole life. The author’s purpose is writing “Body Positive: A Guide to Loving Your Body” is to help girl understand the role that media plays in creating and perpetuating unattainable beauty standards. I appreciated that Dick clearly explains the different sections of each chapter including a section focusing on a crucial topic impacting young women before ending with a “Getting to Know You” section which provides questions for reader self-reflection, “Chapter at a Glance” which provides a summary of important points made in the chapter, and “Average Girls” which features real girls’ opinions and observations in their own words.
In Chapter one, “Body Image and Learning the Way,” Dick defines terms such as body image and media followed by highlighting that society’s current beauty ideals are impossible to achieve. Although the media show a variety of different types of men, this is not the case for women-especially regarding body size. Unfortunately, when larger female bodies are represented, they are often shown as the fat, funny friends instead of taking the lead role. Due to continued images of thinness being equated to beauty and increased use of photo editing software like Photoshop, many girls don’t feel comfortable describing themselves as beautiful. I was shocked to read that body dissatisfaction among girls can start in girls as young as six years old. Dick shares how toys such as dolls are meant to teach girls their role in society instead can create body image issues. Liked the information table “If Barbie Were Real” in that helps readers to understand that Barbie was not meant to be a human goal to aspire to. Dick also examines the message Barbie and similar dolls are sending to young girls through their clothing and sends a message that a woman’s ultimate goal is to be sexually attractive to get male attention. Dick ends the chapter by encouraging adult readers of this book to be body neutral if they don’t feel body positive and focus on nurturing self-esteem in young girls versus focusing on physical standards.
Chapter two, “The Media,” Dick focuses on how the media profits off of developing insecurity in girls and shares the sobering statistic that a mere 5 percent of North American females have their body type portrayed in the media. Dick also highlights in this chapter that through the media creating dissatisfaction in young girls, this leads to an increase in buying beauty products, clothes, and diets products. Imbalanced media images create a false narrative that thin and beautiful are the same as healthy which is untrue.
Chapter three, “Self-Improvement,” focuses on how poor body image during childhood can lead to some teen girls having eating disorders, becoming depressed, having low self-esteem and being bullied. Dick discusses the viscous cycle of media exposure which involves comparing your body to women in the media then seeking out self-improvement measures to “fix” what the media says is wrong with you leading to more media consumption. I was sad to read that in the 1970s, the average age when girls began to diet was fourteen while in the 1990s, the average age when girls begin to diet is eight. Dick discusses the perils of dieting in young girls as well as the use of cosmetics to hide insecurities.
Chapter four, “Self-Comparison and Fat Talk,” Dick focuses on “fat talk” and how harmful it can be in passing unrealistic beauty and body ideals to the next generation. A statement that really resonated with me in this chapter was that “It’s important for us to find ways to express our true feelings-and fat is not a feeling!” By displaying alternative representations of women in the media, this can start to undo the damage of impossible beauty standards and change its effect on Average Girls. There is more than one acceptable body type.
Chapter five, “Thinspiration,” introduces the word “Thiinspiration” which is the use of images, slogans, and quotes to inspire women to lose weight to obtain the thin body ideal as well as “Fitspiration” which had a similar focus on inspiring women to do punishing exercises to obtain the fit body ideal. Dick shares with the reader the dangers of using thinspiration images as motivation such as being used as aids to those with eating disorders. Also mentioned in this chapter are and pro-ana and pro-mia online communities which promote anorexia and bulimia as normal and a lifestyle choice rather than a mental illness. While some view thinspiration and fitspiration images as inspirational, in reality, these images do more hard than good and Dick implores the reader to advocate for promoting images of healthier, more diverse body types.
Chapter six, “Mental Health,” focuses on how negative or poor body image can cause depression in some girls. Eating disorders are also discussed more in depth in this chapter and as was shocked and saddened to learn that eating disorders can start in girls as early as five or six years old. It was interesting to learn about eating disorders including anorexia, bulimia, body dysmorphia, binge eating, and lesser mentioned disorders such as anorexia athletica and orthorexia. I agree with Dick that society needs to focus less on being thin and sexy and more on being healthy and confident regardless of body size or shape.
Chapter seven, “Bullying and Sexual Harassment,” Dick focuses on how a byproduct of low self-esteem and body dissatisfaction can lead to bullying of others. It is interesting to learn terms such as “relational aggression” which is when a bully doesn’t physically injure a victim but instead harms her by damaging her relationships and social status.
Cyberbullying is also discussed which involves online harassment via social media, websites, email, or texting. Unfortunately with increased access to the internet, little can be done to control what happens to images and texts once they’re shared and additionally, anyone can say anything about someone with little or no consequences. Some cyberbullies attack others online since the anonymity of the internet makes it an easier place to type mean things to a person rather than say it to them in person.
Sexual harassment is also discussed, and Dick explains that sexual harassment by boys is a way to establish their maleness to their peers. Dick provides helpful readers with tips on what to do if someone is bullying, sexually harassing, or has assaulted them including knowing that what happened is wrong and not their fault, keeping a record, and telling someone you trust.
Chapter eight, “Body Image and Self-Esteem,” focuses on separating body image from self-esteem. Dick defines body image as your mental picture of your body while self-esteem is your judgement about yourself. Unfortunately, most girls base their self-esteem only on their body image. When body image becomes more important than anything else in life, this can interfere with your self-esteem. How family and friends treat girls help in building self-esteem as well as determining her self-worth. Without healthy self-esteem, a girl may find value from only her appearance.
Chapter nine, “What to Look for in the Media,” focuses on providing female readers with questions to consider regarding the media they consume and are exposed to. Dick highlights how media including television, movies, music videos, magazines, blogs, the internet, cosmetics fashion products, and advertising can perpetuate and reinforce a negative body image. In this chapter, I liked how Dick alternates examples of media followed by thought provoking questions for the reader.
Chapter ten, “Changing How You Think: Ten Steps to Loving Your Body,” focuses on providing the reader with ten steps to loving their body by forgiving themselves for past judgment and comparison to others and Dick suggests the reader redefine their identity by challenging normal methods of thinking. Dick encourages the reader to think critically, listen to their body, surrounding themselves with supportive people, set realistic goals and give thanks to their body. Additional suggestions to help readers love their body include treat themselves to an activity they enjoy, dress for comfort, encourage themselves and others, and lastly, when in doubt, read this book to feel better about themselves.
In a final note from the author, Dick shows vulnerability to the reader by sharing four photos of her in various stages of life including being pregnant and four months postpartum. Dick ends the book by encouraging the reader to be proud of what you body can do and how it adapts to life changes then thanks all of the women who participated in the making in the book.
As I finished reading the book, I loved seeing the variety of happy women embracing their bodies. Although the book is full of relevant information., heavy use of the word “Photoshop” might make some younger readers feel disconnected from the book. To me, this is an informative and inclusive book that should be required for not only young women but anyone who interacts with young girls as well as adult women struggling with poor body image.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 1, 2021
A book of this calibre and content is LONG overdue. The author expertly photographs honest images of women - untouched, uncorrected, and real - of every body shape, age, identity, physical limitation, and ethnicity. The message of this book is to love, appreciate, and celebrate the body that you have. The author includes important checklists, quotes from real women, and invites readers to celebrate who we are despite what we perceive as flaws or body parts that we do not like. Advertising, social media and more set up unattainable ideals, airbrushed bodies, and dishonest images of what a woman's body should look like creating a perpetual and impossible ideal that is unrealistic for most of us. Read, share, look at, absorb the very important messages of this book and you will feel MUCH better about the body you inhabit and how you perceive others around you. Thank you for this amazing book! And buy copies for all of your friends, too! Brava, Emily Dick, for this incredible feat and book that you produced! It will make a HUGE difference to anyone who takes time to absorb its important contents.
December 8, 2023
I really wanted to like this but it felt like a reader for people that have never heard anything about body image issues. I turned to this as someone with body imagine issues to learn more and feel like I didn’t learn anything and it was just very surface level and just pictures, some information, personal anecdotes, and than some simple activities that can be found anywhere else. I just wanted so much more and I really genuinely wanted to like this but just couldn’t.
November 18, 2020
I received an advanced review copy of this book.
This interactive workbook focuses on building media literacy and body positivity in teens and young girls.
While there are many books available on body positivity, this one stands out with the quality and quantity of pictures of real women's bodies all throughout the book.
The workbook sections are similarly unique from similar books because this book goes in depth into media literacy in particular, asking readers to consider portrayals of women in movies, music videos, and advertisements.
This interactive workbook focuses on building media literacy and body positivity in teens and young girls.
While there are many books available on body positivity, this one stands out with the quality and quantity of pictures of real women's bodies all throughout the book.
The workbook sections are similarly unique from similar books because this book goes in depth into media literacy in particular, asking readers to consider portrayals of women in movies, music videos, and advertisements.
February 3, 2021
A very positive book about woman , ladies and girls of all ages .. i like how you can write answers in the book a long the way .. an awesome break down how the world sees us
March 28, 2021
I think every woman needs to read this book.
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May 13, 2021MCPL 2021 Librarian's Reading Challenge
#16 Read a YA nonfiction book
#16 Read a YA nonfiction book
January 5, 2021
Yes! A book that directly challenges the societal pressure placed on women and girls to look a certain way. Body Positive is a beautiful book that will hopefully begin to shift the paradigm and help girls learn to love and accept themselves just as they are. This book is filled with photos of women of all shapes and sizes, quotes and information to inspire change, and meaningful activities. Thank you, Emily Lauren Dick, for creating this important book.
November 29, 2020
Thanks to Emily Lauren Dick and Familius/Workman for providing an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
Emily take readers on a journey to understand how society trains girls and women to think negatively about their bodies, and what we can do to counteract that training. This book is a quick read and filled with photos of women of all shapes, sizes, abilities, and colors. Although I appreciate Emily’s efforts, and would recommend this book to my white mid-sized able-bodied cisgendered and mentally healthy friends, but I do not think that this is a book for everyone.
Although women of color were represented in the photographs, body image issues related to skin color and hair texture were not addressed. Similarly, the complex issues involved with disabled bodies were not addressed in the writing, but many women with visible disabilities were included in the photography. Transgender women were not mentioned at all in the book. As I am a white cisgendered and able-bodied individual, I cannot personally speak to how anyone in these marginalized groups would experience this book.
For women recovering from an eating disorder, this book may be triggering. The majority of the book discussed body image in the media and contained quotes from real women that included statements of self-hate, which I found particularly triggering. Although I think Emily was well-intentioned in including such quotes, I did skip many of the quote sections because of the triggering effect. Only one short chapter at the end of the book provided tools to begin a journey towards accepting your body. I was hoping the majority of the book would provide such tools, and I was left really wanting more after having read through triggering commentary. I think this book would only be helpful for a percentage of women whose narratives are centered and who are not in recovery for disordered eating or self-harm.
Emily take readers on a journey to understand how society trains girls and women to think negatively about their bodies, and what we can do to counteract that training. This book is a quick read and filled with photos of women of all shapes, sizes, abilities, and colors. Although I appreciate Emily’s efforts, and would recommend this book to my white mid-sized able-bodied cisgendered and mentally healthy friends, but I do not think that this is a book for everyone.
Although women of color were represented in the photographs, body image issues related to skin color and hair texture were not addressed. Similarly, the complex issues involved with disabled bodies were not addressed in the writing, but many women with visible disabilities were included in the photography. Transgender women were not mentioned at all in the book. As I am a white cisgendered and able-bodied individual, I cannot personally speak to how anyone in these marginalized groups would experience this book.
For women recovering from an eating disorder, this book may be triggering. The majority of the book discussed body image in the media and contained quotes from real women that included statements of self-hate, which I found particularly triggering. Although I think Emily was well-intentioned in including such quotes, I did skip many of the quote sections because of the triggering effect. Only one short chapter at the end of the book provided tools to begin a journey towards accepting your body. I was hoping the majority of the book would provide such tools, and I was left really wanting more after having read through triggering commentary. I think this book would only be helpful for a percentage of women whose narratives are centered and who are not in recovery for disordered eating or self-harm.
April 13, 2020
A must read for any female who has ever disliked her body!!!
Body positive; a guide to loving your body has helped me so much. I loved seeing all the incredible, brave and inspiring women showing that every body is a beautiful body. I even loved that the author Emily included her journey. She has such a wonderful message that is so important! As women we are always made to feel that we are not enough. Not pretty enough, not skinny enough, not smart enough, the list goes on. This book has been just what i needed to remind myself, I am enough, I am worthy and eat the dam pizza!! I would recommend to any woman, or anyone who knows a woman to buy this book! Its and incredible read, with an even more beautiful message.
Body positive; a guide to loving your body has helped me so much. I loved seeing all the incredible, brave and inspiring women showing that every body is a beautiful body. I even loved that the author Emily included her journey. She has such a wonderful message that is so important! As women we are always made to feel that we are not enough. Not pretty enough, not skinny enough, not smart enough, the list goes on. This book has been just what i needed to remind myself, I am enough, I am worthy and eat the dam pizza!! I would recommend to any woman, or anyone who knows a woman to buy this book! Its and incredible read, with an even more beautiful message.
August 29, 2021
What an excellent and timely book about loving yourself just the way you are! Inspirational photos of real women, self-reflection prompts, and lots of helpful tips on loving your true self. Perfect for every young girl and women living in today's world of unattainable beauty standards. The only thing I would have liked to see more of is resources of body positive role models/media sites/companies to follow.
March 19, 2021
Wow, the images are so beautiful. Such a unique perspective on body image and how it connects to the rest of our lives. I wasn't sure this would be a great book for me, because I'm in my late thirties but IT WAS SO GOOD! I bought it because of the images but the book content was helpful for giving me a new perspective on my body insecurities and I loved the real responses and journal prompts. I am going to buy a copy for every girl and woman in my life!
November 5, 2022
I haven't used Goodreads in 3 years and was so embarrassed of my previous reviews that I'm using a new account. I feel the need to leave a review of how awful I found this book.
First of all, I don't know what audience this was written for. Terms like "media" are explained in detail, and the quotes are all described as being from "girls" despite everyone pictured being obviously adults. This clashes with how often this book references sex appeal. Am I supposed to be someone who needs basic concepts explained to me, who is young enough to consider myself a girl, or am I supposed to understand what is and isn't sexy?
This book is INCREDIBLY triggering to people with eating disorders. I think that's why I hated it so much. I've struggled with disordered eating in the past, and this is really REALLY unfriendly if you've struggled with it. There are sections where that is to be expected, but sometimes it springs quotes on you like "Dieting is only required if you eat junk food and you're really fat". It constantly brings up "healthy" bodies, which feels like a dogwhistle -- when people exclude healthy bodies, they exclude fat people (who may still be healthy) and disabled people. It feels like the author included all quotes with no quality control, which meant some disgusting rhetoric gets included alongside genuinely good insights.
It's also centered on women to a frankly transphobic degree. I'm nonbinary and AFAB and I knew it was going to be a problem when I saw men referred to as "males". Yes, women face more shame around their bodies than men do, and there is a unique way women are programmed to view their bodies that ties into the patriarchy. However, I don't think it's productive to split hairs in this way. I stopped reading when a woman quoted said "real women had vaginas". This book was written in 2020. There is no reason to just not cut out that part of the quote.
This book is so simplistic that, to someone with a base knowledge of body positivity, it comes across as condescending, and has such a thorough lack of intersectionality that I wouldn't be surprised if the author only heard of racism yesterday. A book entirely about the way people view weight is important, but even then I feel that you should be bringing up things like BMI tests historically being conceived of on white bodies or the way that anti-fat rhetoric specifically harms disabled people who cannot and will never be healthy.
I'm not finished with the book, but I'm also going to mention for posterity that any book done on fat activism that doesn't mention societal fatphobia on a larger scale is missing the point. Fat activism isn't just about our feelings being hurt; it's about how fat people are less likely to be hired, more likely to be arrested, oftentimes living with undiagnosed disabilities because doctors refuse to take us seriously, catcalled, sexually harassed, abused, and bullied because of our weight, and forced to pay more money just to survive. Hell, most seats are less likely to fit us! When you refuse to discuss these legitimate societal implications, you make fat activism look like a bunch of people talking about how their feelings were hurt, and make it that much easier for fatphobes to dismiss our arguments and act as though we don't deserve to be taken seriously.
I am not going to finish this book. When I'm done with this review, I'm probably going to compost it. Save your money. You'd be better off reading Your Fat Friend for free.
First of all, I don't know what audience this was written for. Terms like "media" are explained in detail, and the quotes are all described as being from "girls" despite everyone pictured being obviously adults. This clashes with how often this book references sex appeal. Am I supposed to be someone who needs basic concepts explained to me, who is young enough to consider myself a girl, or am I supposed to understand what is and isn't sexy?
This book is INCREDIBLY triggering to people with eating disorders. I think that's why I hated it so much. I've struggled with disordered eating in the past, and this is really REALLY unfriendly if you've struggled with it. There are sections where that is to be expected, but sometimes it springs quotes on you like "Dieting is only required if you eat junk food and you're really fat". It constantly brings up "healthy" bodies, which feels like a dogwhistle -- when people exclude healthy bodies, they exclude fat people (who may still be healthy) and disabled people. It feels like the author included all quotes with no quality control, which meant some disgusting rhetoric gets included alongside genuinely good insights.
It's also centered on women to a frankly transphobic degree. I'm nonbinary and AFAB and I knew it was going to be a problem when I saw men referred to as "males". Yes, women face more shame around their bodies than men do, and there is a unique way women are programmed to view their bodies that ties into the patriarchy. However, I don't think it's productive to split hairs in this way. I stopped reading when a woman quoted said "real women had vaginas". This book was written in 2020. There is no reason to just not cut out that part of the quote.
This book is so simplistic that, to someone with a base knowledge of body positivity, it comes across as condescending, and has such a thorough lack of intersectionality that I wouldn't be surprised if the author only heard of racism yesterday. A book entirely about the way people view weight is important, but even then I feel that you should be bringing up things like BMI tests historically being conceived of on white bodies or the way that anti-fat rhetoric specifically harms disabled people who cannot and will never be healthy.
I'm not finished with the book, but I'm also going to mention for posterity that any book done on fat activism that doesn't mention societal fatphobia on a larger scale is missing the point. Fat activism isn't just about our feelings being hurt; it's about how fat people are less likely to be hired, more likely to be arrested, oftentimes living with undiagnosed disabilities because doctors refuse to take us seriously, catcalled, sexually harassed, abused, and bullied because of our weight, and forced to pay more money just to survive. Hell, most seats are less likely to fit us! When you refuse to discuss these legitimate societal implications, you make fat activism look like a bunch of people talking about how their feelings were hurt, and make it that much easier for fatphobes to dismiss our arguments and act as though we don't deserve to be taken seriously.
I am not going to finish this book. When I'm done with this review, I'm probably going to compost it. Save your money. You'd be better off reading Your Fat Friend for free.
May 26, 2025
Unfortunately, I was only able to read up to Chapter 3 before deciding that this book definitely isn’t for me. I want to believe that the author had great intentions for this and I applaud her for her fearlessness of trying to make a positive influence in the world through this book, but it just missed the mark for me.
I can appreciate what the author was trying to go for with the quotes from “real girls” but I don’t think it translated quite the way she was probably intending to. Some of the quotes are unbelievably triggering and I don’t particularly feel that they add much value to the book. We already know what people say and think about their bodies and other people’s bodies in our current fatphobic society, I don’t think anyone needs reminding of the sort of things that they hear from friends, family, strangers every day as passing comments.
Although the images tried to be inclusive, none of the text that I read mentioned anything about race, gender, sexuality and disability, which is greatly intertwined with fatphobia. Some parts also came off as subtly misogynistic.
Books I recommend instead are:
•Body positive power by Megan Jayne Crabbe
•You are not a before picture by Alexis Light
•Fattily ever after by Stephanie Yeboa
•You are enough by Harry Rose
•Queer body power by Essie Dennis
April 4, 2021
I was drawn to the purple cover and title at my library. Body positivity is something I still struggle with and in this age of social media and influencers, girls and young people feel this pressure even more. I liked how the author has so many photos of different women in the book but I found it hard to believe some of what they said especially when they look conventionally beautiful. The different chapters give a good and short overview about various areas that affect body image. I liked the reflection and journaling questions as it allowed me to write what I read to myself. The quotes from average girls was a surprising wide range of responses. Though as times, I wonder if they were all genuine. Overall this is a good book to share with young women.
April 13, 2020
Five stars for all of the hard work and effort that went into making this book what it is today. I am lucky to have an amazing support system and a great publishing team at Familius! Of course, I'm a little biased because I wrote and photographed the young women for it. #seemorereal #bodypositive #bodypositivebook
January 27, 2021
Maybe it just wasn't what I was expecting
July 6, 2022
This book is likely good for young girls who put too much value into media and social pressure, but isn't great for guiding people to love their bodies beyond questioning those external pressures.
November 18, 2023
I think it touches on a lot of topics that not a lot of people talk about. It was very informative and was super interactive.
April 29, 2024
Definitely for someone just starting to try to love their body. An intro level book, but perfect for those who need it!
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