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body positivity

Image from YouTube video.

An emotional and strong Matt Diaz.


Matt Diaz has worked extremely hard to lose 270 pounds over the past six years.

But his proudest moment came in March 2015 when he decided to film himself with his shirt off to prove an important point about body positivity and self-love.

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Emotional moment shows the affects of body image on young boys

When people think of body positivity, oftentimes the image that comes to mind is that of a person that society would place in the category of woman. It seems that men and boys get left behind or overlooked when it comes to these conversations. The focus of teens and tweens developing eating disorders is also very driven by information on girls so it may be difficult to hear that boys struggle, too.

Mom and influencer, Samantha Sophia found herself in an unexpectedly emotional conversation with her 11-year-old son about tween boy body image. The mom vlogs about her life and parenting journey using "gentle parenting" techniques, this means she sometimes catches vulnerable moments with her kids, like this one.

Samantha was starting to record something else when her son walked in and they had a short dialogue about how they were feeling and how they slept. It was typical parent-child jibber jabber until she digs a little deeper into his new fitness journey.

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Identity

Let's all take a pause before commenting on someone's weight, fictional character or not

Disney's short about a ballerina's triumph revealed an undercurrent of cruelty about obesity that needs to end.

Mark Production/Canva

People with obesity should be able to express joy and confidence without shame and criticism.

Folks, we need to talk.

Last week, I wrote an article about Disney’s new short, “Reflect,” which had been creating some buzz. The 2 1/2 minute film about a larger-than-average ballerina who triumphs over the mirror by dancing with joy and confidence is an ode to the body image struggle so many people face. It’s sweet, positive and inspiring.

But many people’s reactions to the film—or even just the idea of the film—were not.

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Identity

Disney's new heroine is a larger-than-average ballerina dancing her way to body positivity

Bianca breaks through her own body image barriers in the short film 'Reflect.'

Tetiana Nekrasova/Canva

Disney's "Reflect" shares the story of a ballerina who learns to see herself clearly.

Disney is known for making big statements with small films, and one of the newest shorts from Disney Animation Studios says a whole lot in just 2 1/2 minutes.

The latest episode in Disney's Short Circuit Experimental Films series, "Reflect," takes on the topic of body image and body positivity through the eyes of a plus-size ballerina named Bianca. The journey she takes in the film is familiar to many, and different people may see themselves in each stage of it. (Spoiler alerts incoming.)

The short opens with Bianca dancing alone in a ballet studio, joyfully practicing her moves with her head held high and her face beaming. But as soon as the other students and the instructor enter the room, Bianca wilts, becoming self-conscious and unsure of herself. She approaches the mirror with the other girls, but she keeps her head down and avoids looking at her reflection.

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