Ashley Graham calls out an Instagram account that body shames plus-size models

Plus-size models have created Instagram accounts to show that beauty comes in all shapes and sizes. While we still have the stereotype of the stick-thin supermodel, women of various body types have achieved greater visibility in advertising campaigns. Consumers feel included when they see someone who looks like them; slowly, but surely, we are chipping away at unrealistic beauty standards in society.

However, this being the Internet, there's always going to be trolls, saying something cruel to try to provoke a reaction. Ashley Graham, who was the first plus-size model to be included in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, recently confronted one of these haters. Usually they sling mud in the comment section, but this one created an Instagram account dedicated to body shaming.

Credit: Instagram

On this Instagram account, the troll posts photos of skinny models next to plus-size models. The caption reads "real model vs fake model," "me vs you," or "fat vs. fit." This is followed by charming hashtags such as "#fatgirl," "#beautyvsbeast" and "#againstobesity." (And I'm sure the person who runs this account, picking on the preceived flaws of others, is a paragon of perfect physical beauty themselves.)

Ashley Graham, of course, has no tolerance for haters, as an outspoken body positivity activist. When she discovered the body shaming account, she took screenshots of the posts and shared them on Instagram stories. Then she shared a video, speaking to her followers from the set of her latest photoshoot:

“I know I’m being a little petty by posting these stupid photos of somebody who wrote real model and fat model but I will let you know nothing defines what a real model or a fat model or fake model is. Your weight, your skin, your hair, your religious background — none of that determines whether you’re a ‘real’ model or not. So all those girls out there who have dreams and hopes, keep fighting for them and don’t let all the losers on Instagram stop [you]."

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As of now, the troll's Instagram account is still active, gleefully posting body shaming photos of "real models" and "fake models." Last month, Ashley wrote about how much she hated such terminology. Some fans would call her a "real woman," meaning it as a compliment. However, Ashley disagreed with that notion, saying, "we are all real women. I can’t stand it when I read comments that say—‘finally, a real woman.’ No matter your size/shape/amount of cellulite—we are in this together." Similarly, plus-size models are "real models" too.

One would think there'd be better things to do with your time than body-shame plus-size models on Instagram. But as they say, sunlight is the best disinfectant. The body positive posts on social media far outnumber the trolls.