When it comes to health people often forget it’s more than physical health that matters, body image or having a positive body image can be a major determinate of health. 

However in a world that is rife with fat stigma and diet culture being happy with how your body looks can be easier said than done, particularly for women.

The good news though is a slow but steady shift towards a more body-positive world. If you’re looking to free yourself of body shame it might be time to speak to a health professional, someone who specialised in HAES with a non-diet approach. In the meantime, there are daily activities that can help create a positive body image, such as saving positive body image quotes in the main rooms of your home, here’s 18 to get you started. 

18 BODY POSITIVITY QUOTES 

1. I finally realised that being grateful to my body was key to giving more love to myself – Oprah

2. Since I don’t look like every other girl, it takes a while to be okay with that. To be different. But different is good. – Serena Williams

3. “Hating our bodies is something that we learn, and it sure as hell is something that we can unlearn.” — Megan Jayne Crabbe

5. “Don’t waste so much time thinking about how much you weigh. There is no more mind-numbing, boring, idiotic, self-destructive diversion from the fun of living.” — Meryl Streep 

6. “Life is so much more beautiful and complex than a number on a scale.” — Tess Munster

7. “As a child, I never heard one woman say to me, ‘I love my body’. Not my mother, my elder sister, my best friend. No one woman has ever said, ‘I am so proud of my body.’ So I make sure to say it to my daughter because a positive physical outlook has to start at an early age.” — Kate Winslet

9. “How I feel about myself is more important than how I look. Feeling confident, being comfortable in your skin—that’s what really makes you beautiful.” — Bobbi Brown

10. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say I was thin. I do, however, know better. The fact is, I’m not thin. But here’s my newfound reality: You don’t have to be thin to look great.” — Lisa Kogan

11. “People often say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and I say that the most liberating thing about beauty is realizing that you are the beholder.” — Salma Hayek

12. “My weight? It is what it is. You could get hit by a bus tomorrow. It’s about being content. And sometimes other priorities win.” — Melissa McCarthy

13. “I think about my body as a tool to do the stuff I need to do, but not the be-all and end-all of my existence.” — Lena Dunham

15. “The fact of the matter is, I absolutely do try to conform to normal standards of beauty. I am just not remotely successful at it. [But] I never want to be part of the problem. I want to always be as body-positive as girls hope that I am.” — Mindy Kaling

16. You are more than a number on a scale – Anonymous

17. Just because we have acne, tummy rolls and chaffing thighs doesn’t mean we need to be fixed. Period. – Mik Zazon

18. Say goodbye to your inner critic, and take the pledge to be kind to yourself. – Oprah