A plus-size influencer has revealed she used to wear baggy jumpers and risk heat stroke in summer – now she’s embracing being “fat and proud”.
Julia Sena is well-known for her shopping hauls, recommendations and vlogs, as well as her takes on society, as a plus-size woman.
The 30-year-old, who boasts 127,000 followers on Instagram (@jewlieahofficial ), recently revealed that people online say she’s “heading to an early grave” due to her body.
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While she doesn’t care anymore about what others have to say about her size 26, 330-lb physique, it’s not always been that way.
“I was the type to wear big baggy hoodies in the middle of summer,” the content creator told What’s The Jam.
“I was so self conscious of my body growing up, that I’d risk getting heat stroke.
“Just to avoid having my body perceived even more than it already was.
“I think, as a society, we need to be honest.
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“Instead of saying ‘beach body’ people need to say what they actually mean; a thin or fit person in a swimsuit.
“The reality, though, is that a beach body should just be anybody at the beach.
“Hearing people say: ‘I’ve got to get fit before summer time’ sounds like a very unhappy way to live.
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“If you have a body and want to go to the beach, regardless of your size, you have a beach body and you’re already summer time [ready].
“Spending time in the ocean, soaking up the sun and enjoying nature shouldn’t just be for smaller bodies.
“I’ve been in a bigger body my whole life, so I get it.
“That’s over 30 years of people telling me all of their tips and tricks on how to lose weight, even though I never asked to hear any of it.
“And I definitely won’t be listening this summer.”
Julia, from Phoenix, Arizona, US, says that society’s pressures, especially on women, are often unobtainable.
She said: “I have tried so hard to fit [into] what society expected of me for the majority of my life.
“I realised that my natural features and qualities about myself, such as my curves, were already beautiful.
“People think they have to change their appearance to be loved or accepted.
“[All because] the world is telling them: ‘You aren’t good enough the way you exist, so conform to what we believe you should look like.’”
Julia believes that society is “stepping backwards” when it comes to accepting bigger bodies.
She added: “If I was asked a few years ago, I would’ve said that society is generally becoming more inclusive.
“But not so much anymore.
“There’s been a shift backwards.
“Please show love to yourself; your body and mind are connected.
“Speak positively about your body, regardless of how it looks or functions.
“Stay true to yourself – you don’t have to change your body to be loved and respected.
“Your weight doesn’t determine your worth.”
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