“Three years ago, I would’ve been afraid to post a picture of myself shirtless. After working hard to lose weight and loving myself more, I’m finally ready to show you the new and improved me.”

That is a typical caption one would find under a “body appreciation” post on Instagram or Facebook. Body recognition is a great concept that provides motivation for people to lose weight and turn into better versions of themselves.

Many celebrities promote body positivity, regardless of whether it is about themselves or their fanbases.

   “I never starve myself for a role … I do not want girls to look at me and say, ‘I want to look like Katniss, so I’m going to skip dinner,’” actress Jennifer Lawrence reported to Elle magazine in January 2012. “I was just trying to get my body to look fit and strong, not thin and unfed.”

   Body positivity is slowly becoming the social norm. Time and time again, social media users will see people posting pictures of themselves at the gym, flexing their muscles in front of a mirror.

“Some days I am happy with my body, but other days I am not. It all depends on my environment,” sophomore Chelsea Balulis said. “I would not change anything about my body because although I may not like my body some days, I have confidence, especially since my body type works perfectly with the sports I play.”

Body appreciation is harmless. As someone who struggles with body self-negativity and body issues, the idea of people being happy with their bodies provides a small flame of motivation for me to start accepting my body the way it is.

Accepting your body for what it is provides great mental strength. It will give one less stress about what he wants to eat and how much he eats. It will also provide higher self-esteem because he would not be worrying about what others think about his body.

Females, if anyone, should be posting more body positivity posts. There is an expectation within this generation that a stereotypically beautiful female must have perfectly round breasts, a flat stomach and a full butt. Each woman looks perfectly fine the way she is and does not need makeup to make herself look beautiful. She is pretty no matter what, regardless of being skinny or having big breasts.

Being okay with what one looks like is important, and body appreciation posts help one achieve being okay and comfortable within his body. Posting pictures of one’s weight loss is nothing new in the media, but now motivating quotes and entries of self-reflection can help people accept their bodies the way they are.