Model Iskra Lawrence is already an amazing role model for those of us who occassionally need a boost in the body positivity department - and she just took things to the next level with a recent Instagram post that's going viral.
Lawrence posted a side-by-side collage of two images of her *flawless* body: one where she's sitting up extra straight, demonstrating the way models are able to stretch their stomachs to look flatter, and another where she's sitting the way most of us do on a regular basis - and the photos prove an amazing point about the way we perceive female bodies in the media.
"Your fat rolls are beautiful," the caption reads. "And the reason we have been lead to believe they aren't is because we don't see them in the media unless someone's being shamed for weight gain or ridiculed for their body. This is NOT the truth and not OK. Having rolls of skin that are soft, squidgy or big does not define your beauty. I wanted to show you how my body looks when I'm relaxed and when I'm posing right next to each other so you can see how easy it is to manipulate how a body looks."
She's not wrong. When we see images of models in a swimsuit ad, rarely do we take into account the fact that even the way they are posing is probably designed to be extra flattering. (Case in point: ever seen a slouching undies model?) Not to mention any additional editing that's done in photoshop before we see the final product.
At nearly 200,000 likes and counting, the post clearly hit home for many of her followers, who posted comments saying, "PREACH IT!" and thanking Lawrence for her honesty.
At the end of the day, no one - including the model herself - looks like the finished product we see, and Iskra's photo is an important reminder.
