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57-year-old former model Paulina Porizkova had the perfect response to ageist comment online

"We have earned our beauty, we understand what it is, and we can see it so much better."

Photo by Malin K. on Unsplash

Paulina Porizkova took on a commenter who said she was in "pain" being "old and ugly."

Aging is a weird thing. From one perspective, it's something we should be grateful for. Few people would wish for the kind of short, uneventful life that would remove aging from the equation completely. The longer we live, the more we grow and learn and experience life, and "aging" is simply the mathematical sum of those experiences. All good, right?

On the other hand, our society does everything in its power to hide the fact that aging happens. Especially when it comes to women. According to Statista, the global anti-aging beauty market is estimated to be worth $58.8 billion. People will try all manner of creams, serums, masks, acids, lights, technologies and surgeries to try to prevent wrinkles, lines, sagginess, spots and other signs that our bodies are changing with time.

Most of us live our daily lives somewhere in the middle of these two realities, wanting to embrace our aging selves but also hoping to stave off some of the more obvious signs that we're getting older. It's natural to resist it in some ways, since the older we get, the closer we get to the end of our lives, which we certainly don't want to hasten—especially if we actually love living.

It can be helpful to see people who are embracing their age, which is why it can be inspiring to see someone like former supermodel Paulina Porizkova confidently sharing photos of her 57-year-old self.

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Identity

9 women describe the frustration, shame, and heartbreak of being a fat person on a plane

"The most important thing that fellow passengers can do is just acknowledge the humanity of the people they're traveling with."

Image via YouTube video.

An animation depicts the discomfort of flying as a larger person.

This article originally appeared on 12.07.16

Before moving to London to pursue a degree in anthropology, Stacy Bias had to decide if it was worth getting on the airplane.

"As a woman over 300 pounds, flying was pretty anxious for me," Bias says. Over the years, Bias came to fear being stared at, subjected to rude comments from seatmates, or asked to purchase an extra seat. The anxiety got so bad that at one point, she stopped flying altogether.

With a little determination and encouragement from her partner, who had recently relocated to the U.K., Bias faced down the fear and got on the plane to London. Soon after, she started a Facebook group to offer discussion, support, and tips to other fat travelers who had encountered similar roadblocks. The group quickly grew to nearly 4,000 members and Bias, in conjunction with a research project for her undergraduate dissertation, presented the group with a survey, encouraging members to share their experiences in the air.

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Identity

Facebook is finally 'freeing the nipple' thanks in part to how it censored one harmless photo

It's a major win for inclusivity.

Photo by Taylor Harding on Unsplash

Grayscale photo of woman in bikini.

Facebook has been a great place for people to bare all when it comes to their emotions. But when it comes to baring all with regards to bodies, Facebook has always seemed as if they’d rather people bare none of it. Facebook has received criticism for over-sexualizing breasts, but a new recommendation from Meta’s advisory board says the nipples can come out for nonbinary users.

Recently, Facebook censored two posts from a transgender and nonbinary couple that featured the couple appearing topless. Even though their nipples were covered, an AI system took the photos down for "violating the Sexual Solicitation Community Standard" after they were flagged by a human user. The couple appealed to Meta, and the photos were reinstated, but it was enough to catch the attention of Meta’s oversight board, which advises Meta on content moderation policies and is made up of academics, politicians and journalists.

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transgender rights

Identity

Woman posts dramatic before-and-after pics of one pound loss to prove that weight is meaningless

It's almost as if the numbers on the scale don't mean anything at all.

This article originally appeared on 02.01.19

Adrienne Osuna is a fitness blogger with a focus on weight training. After years of struggling with her weight, this mother of four finally got serious about her health, adopting a rigorous schedule of power lifting, cardio, and intermittent fasting to lose weight, gain muscle, and kick ass.

And while her personal regimen might be a little too ambitious for most of us, she's still inspiring—because she keeps it real.

An image she posted on her blog is going viral for pointing out that focusing on your weight is a misleading goal. The before-and-after pic shows her before she started lifting and after—a complete physical transformation which resulted in a staggering one pound of weight loss.

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Body Image

Artist captures how strangers react to her body in public and it's fascinating

Haley Morris-Cafiero's photos might make you rethink how you look at people.

57-year-old former model Paulina Porizkova had the perfect response to ageist comment online

"We have earned our beauty, we understand what it is, and we can see it so much better."

You suffer beautifully

Here’s why you look better in mirrors than you do in pictures

A scientific breakdown that explains why it's so hard to take a good selfie.

The mirror is a reflection. It's not the real you.

The camera lens also plays a part.

It's also the camera flash.

Your smile could also be the culprit.

It's possible you're less attractive than you think.

9 women describe the frustration, shame, and heartbreak of being a fat person on a plane

"The most important thing that fellow passengers can do is just acknowledge the humanity of the people they're traveling with."

Before moving to London to pursue a degree in anthropology, Stacy Bias had to decide if it was worth getting on the airplane.

"The goal of the animation is to humanize fat people," Bias explains.

For smaller people, one person's ability sit comfortably in an airplane seat may seem trivial. But for Bias' subjects, it's anything but.

Bias believes the solution to the problem starts with standardizing customer size policies across the industry and creating more accessible spaces on aircraft.

In the meantime, she hopes the film helps smaller flyers understand the frustration and helplessness their fat counterparts often feel in a space where cruelty can sometimes erupt subtly and without warning.

Facebook is finally 'freeing the nipple' thanks in part to how it censored one harmless photo

It's a major win for inclusivity.

Woman posts dramatic before-and-after pics of one pound loss to prove that weight is meaningless

It's almost as if the numbers on the scale don't mean anything at all.

Adrienne Osuna is a fitness blogger with a focus on weight training. After years of struggling with her weight, this mother of four finally got serious about her health, adopting a rigorous schedule of power lifting, cardio, and intermittent fasting to lose weight, gain muscle, and kick ass.

Kate Winslet says women become more 'powerful' and 'sexy' in their 40s. She's spot on.

'Let's go girls, let's just be in our power. Why not? Life's too flipping short.'

Mom has comical response to commenters who complained she was too old for her outfit choices

Parents who grew up in the '70s and '80s remember the experiences that blow their kids' minds

A mom asked if it's appropriate to make a babysitter do housework and set the internet on fire

David Bowie's daughter shares a darling video of the rock icon singing nursery rhymes and dancing

Reporter’s impressive stiff arm of a fan on live TV came with an important message for sports fans

Guy says he missed out on love as a teen because his dog's name was too embarrassing