This woman becomes viral on the internet for sharing these 30 side-by-side photos to remind people what real bodies look like (New Pics)

Because there is no specific formula for what is attractive, beauty standards in different parts of the world varies. It all relies on how individuals see the world. However, whatever the standard is, it will only apply to a portion of the population, leaving the remainder of the population feeling undervalued since they lack the traits that many admire.

In Western countries, a slender physique is desired when it comes to body image. That is what most people want to display and see on the internet. Other body types are rarely featured, making those who don’t look like the Instagram models feel as though they’re doing something wrong.

Worse, in many situations, those Instagram models do not even resemble one other in real life. Angles, positions, lighting, and a little editing assist them in achieving the picture they desire. However, there are those like Sara Puhto who understand how detrimental viewing such photographs can be for others, so she explains the reality behind them. It’s remarkable how hard we beat ourselves up for not meeting the standard when it’s impossible to do so since it’s not real.

More info: Instagram

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Sara Puhto is a Finnish content creator who has been using Instagram since 2015. Her material was identical to what you’d expect from a regular Instagram model because she began off as a fitness account.

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Sara has since grown in popularity on Instagram, where she currently has 380k followers and is best known for her ‘Instagram Vs Reality’ series, in which she displays how different the same body can seem depending on how you alter it here and there.

Sara said that she was worried when she decided to stop uploading photographs that didn’t reflect reality, and that despite being a fitness blogger, she felt unhappy about her figure since she was comparing it to others’. The Instagrammer stated why she changed her material to Insider: “I realized that the photographs that I was uploading may have been making other people feel like way.”

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But, much to Sara’s relief, the response she received was and continues to be quite favorable. “It was well received by others, and I received a lot of good feedback and encouragement.”

I believe the reaction has been consistent, even though I’ve been doing this for years and have largely received great comments.”

So many individuals are anxious and hesitant to exhibit how their bodies truly appear, and this insecurity arises from a fear of being evaluated and labeled as unattractive. But it appears that those anxieties are unfounded, since Sara demonstrates that people admire others who are practical.

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The video producer goes a little farther and explains why her comments are typically filled with love and adoration rather than hate. “I believe this is because we need to see more unposed and unedited photos on Instagram and other social media platforms. With younger generations joining social media platforms at an increasing rate, I believe it is important to expose them to unedited and unposed photos rather than only seeing curated photos 24 hours a day, seven days a week.”

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Sara began uploading fitness material in 2015, and a year later, she embarked on a quest to explain what it’s like to be an Instagrammer. She hasn’t stopped since, and we were wondering as to what drives her to keep going.

“I guess what inspires me to keep doing it is knowing that it helps people; the remarks, comments, emails, and direct messages I get encourage me more than I can say,” she added. Because I know how it feels to be in such a bad place when it comes to your body image, or just disliking the body you’re in, or when insecurities get overwhelming. So it means the world to me if I can help even a few individuals.”

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What she does benefits not just others, but it also serves as a form of self-care for her. “I also get inspired to keep going because it helps me as well,” Sara says. “It helps having a platform to express these things and be like ‘hey, it’s good to not be okay, we can embrace that as well!”

Another thing that keeps Sara going is the pleasure she derives from interacting with others. “I enjoy doing what I’m doing because it provides two-way support and allows me to connect with individuals on a more emotional level than you could get from casual acquaintances.”

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Sara mentioned that she doesn’t feel good about her body every second of her life and just like there are good and bad hair days, there are days when you feel like a goddess and days when you feel like you’re a failure because you have a muffin top.

This spectrum of feelings is what makes us human, but the body positivity movement has recently come under fire for denying us the ability to have bad days and for making individuals feel even worse because they can’t love their bodies every day they wake up.

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Sara may be considered a body positive person since she reveals her own flaws and encourages others to embrace their own, so we wanted to know if she spotted symptoms of toxic positivity in the movement.

“It depends on the circumstances at times,” the content developer believes. Overall, I believe the body positivity movement is beneficial, as it provides individuals whose bodies have been neglected in society a positive voice and viewpoint.”

“I do think it’s vital to stress the non-linearity of self-acceptance and/or self-love,” she says, recognizing the problem. It’s ridiculous to expect yourself to be in love with your body 100 percent of the time! It’ll take time, and there will be ups and downs along the road, just like anything else in life. I believe that accepting one’s body comes from facing the challenging unpleasant feelings that occur with life.”

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Being rejected because of your appearance is extremely painful, and people like Sara are working to push the boundaries of beauty standards, demonstrating that everyone should be accepted and pushing them to exhibit their genuine self.

Now we’d want to hear your thoughts: what do you think of Sara’s message, and do you believe that arranging Instagram photographs might be harmful for individuals who don’t realize they’re fake? Do you believe that every body type may be attractive, and that there is no need to praise a certain form? Also, if you have any personal stories to offer, we’d love to hear about them in the comments!

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Originally published on the boredpanda