Barbie Ferreira

“People are so influenced by the media that they really believe a 38-24-45 plastic-surgery body is normal, and they can't understand why a body would possibly have cellulite or bumps.”

“I never thrived in high school.”

“You were not put on this earth to do everything to be sexually appealing to people.”

“People equate health to a picture in a magazine of a 6-foot-tall thin woman with her skin rolls Photoshopped and her waist edited to be tiny, so when they see bodies that jiggle and move around like they do, they assume it's wrong.”

“Knowing that girls are inspired to not have the burden of self-hate, even if it's a tiny way, makes me happy to no end. It gets me up in the morning and softens a lot of the blows I get.”

“Black high-waisted bottoms go with everything.”

“I've always struggled a ton with my body image, and I wanted to help other people not feel so ashamed about themselves. It's a completely unnecessary part of everyday life.”

“There's absolutely no boundaries in dressing for any size, ever.”

“The beauty industry is just like the fashion industry - prejudice is ingrained. But with new people coming in with fresh eyes and passion, I definitely am seeing progress.”

“I just think dieting is something that is run by a billion dollar - a multi-billion dollar - industry that isn't always looking out for your heath. There's healthy ways to do it.”

“I am unapologetically myself, no matter what anyone's opinion is.”

“I'm a model, and I happen to model for curvy things, but at the end of the day, I'm still in front of a camera just like anyone else.”

“I felt the term 'plus size' was inaccurate and kept all these beautiful, stunning women with the widest spectrum of body types I've ever seen - mind you, curvy agencies start at a size 6 and go up to a size 18 - from being seen and resonated with.”

“I used to diet all the time as a kid. I started dieting in, like, kindergarten. I don't recommend it, but I also don't judge people who want to do things with their body.”

“Denim on denim was my go-to look for most of my high school years.”

“I had a lot of difficulty growing up in a society where everything is very closed-minded, especially with beauty.”

“Showing young girls' realistically captured bodies in ads lets young girls realise that it's okay to have dimples, stretches, rolls, etc. since we're only human.”

“I have a ton of guy friends who talk to me about their bodies, too. But boys are often left out of the body positivity conversation.”

“You cannot look at someone and say they are unhealthy. You are not a doctor, and if you were, you'd realize why that's silly.”

“'Fat' was a terrible, terrible word for me growing up. When I was able to reclaim it and call myself fat and identify with it, that was the best moment ever. That was the moment I really started to feel free.”