Iskra Lawrence Shares a Powerful Body-Image Challenge on Social Media

Model Iskra Lawrence wants to challenge people to realize how present and harmful fatphobia is in their everyday lives. She started a body-image challenge on social media, TikTok specifically, where you use her original audio and follow her instructions: put a finger down if certain statements apply to you. The statements all touch on self-reflection when it comes to negative body image and judging yourself, as well as others, based on appearance. Questions include, "Have you ever judged someone because of their size?" and "Have you ever made assumptions about someone's health because of their size?"

Lawrence revealed that she's been fatphobic in the past. "I lived in fear of being fat during my teenage years," she wrote on Instagram where she also shared her TikTok challenge, "because everywhere I had been shown that success, desirability, popularity and acceptance was only for those in societies [sic] parameters of body size and beauty ideals." She continued on to point to the mental ramifications of fatphobia and body shaming — for example, "the mental illnesses spawned from the fear of 'not fitting in'" and "the isolation and exclusion from discrimination and bullying."

Lawrence wrote, "I wish I had known better, I wish I'd have never held myself to impossible standards or judged / stereotyped others. I know better now, recovery truly is a gift." She acknowledged that learning to accept your body is not easy, writing, "everything has been stacked against you to not feel enough, from the photoshopped images and unrealistic beauty ideals to education around food that is confusing and damaging. But please know you truly are enough just being you, that's the best you can be and I pray you know that you're meant to be here and you are loved."

The original video with Lawrence's body-image challenge can be seen ahead. Also ahead, check out more people who are taking Lawrence's challenge and documenting their experience with fatphobia and body shaming. The sooner we understand how pervasive these issues are, the sooner we can continue working to dismantle them in society.