You're in charge of how you feel about your body, talk about your body, and define your body. But in a world that continually sends the message—especially to women, people of color, and members of the LGBTQIA+ community—that we lack control over our own body, it can sometimes be hard to tune out that negative noise and focus on #BodyPositivity.
Body positivity is both a movement and a philosophy. The school of body positive thought initially grew out of the fat positive movements of the 1960s and 1970s. Today, body positivity is inclusive, celebrating bodies of all shapes, sizes, colors, and abilities. It's a way to combat the impossible and unrealistic societal beauty standards that prize certain physical characteristics—namely, thinness and whiteness—above others. Body positive thinking reminds us that it's not our bodies that are wrong or bad—it's the interlocking systems of oppression, such as sexism, racism, and ableism, that try to convince us that they are.
Luckily, there are a ton of amazing activists, writers, and advocates who have written about their own body positivity journey. Their works are moving and thoughtful, full of warm advice, funny anecdotes, and loving real-talk. And they approach body positivity from different angles. Maybe you're looking for a data-based work of nonfiction to help you understand the myths behind diet culture. Maybe you're seeking inspiration and comfort from someone who's experienced what you're going through. Or maybe you just want to get lost in a joyful romance with a fat protagonist or a collection of essays about body acceptance that will make you laugh and cheer. Whatever the case, and wherever you are on your body positivity journey, these listens are here for you to enjoy, delight in, learn from, and get inspired by. And these body image audiobooks and podcasts all have one important message: Accepting and celebrating bodies of all kinds will lead to a better world for all of us.
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Nonfiction
Read by its author, activist and poet Sonya Renee Taylor, this is an absolute must-listen for anyone interested in body positivity. Combining inspiring stories, self-reflection, and practical wisdom, The Body Is Not an Apology explores the possibilities of radical self-love. Systems of oppression, such as racism, sexism, and homophobia, are set up to disconnect all of us from our body, as these systems uphold harmful ideas about how bodies should look and act. Radical self-love is not only a deeply personal practice, Taylor makes clear, but a powerful tool we can all use to dismantle those systems of oppression.
In this incendiary and often hilarious collection of essays, Lindy West refuses to make herself small. Instead, she proudly and loudly takes up space, writing about what it's like being a fat woman in a world that despises fat, and about all the big and small ways she fights back against fatphobia and sexism. Though the essays are far-ranging, covering her career, internet trolls, activism, and more, West is always unapologetically herself. Her lively narration reflects her background in stand-up comedy. If you're looking for a body positive audiobook that's as funny as it is moving, Shrill is one you won't want to miss.
In this wise and funny memoir, fat comedian Sofie Hagen shares her journey to self-acceptance in a world that judges, criticizes, and often reviles fat bodies. Her tone is warm and inviting but never accommodating. Listening to this audiobook is a lot like having a long chat with a frustrated yet confident friend: you're going to learn a lot, nod along a lot, and walk away feeling equal parts enraged and inspired.
If you get angry every time you hear the words "obesity epidemic," or if you're suspicious of diet culture but can't pinpoint why, Body Respect is the audiobook for you. In this clear, compelling, and well-argued listen, Linda Bacon and Lucy Aphramor debunk common myths about weight and diet culture, including the widely accepted notions that BMI is an indicator of health and fatness leads to chronic disease. Along with exposing the toxic ideas behind dieting and weight loss, the authors shed light on the factors that often contribute to poor health and well-being: racism, homophobia, and poverty.
In this beautiful, illuminating, and moving collection of interviews, Susan Kuklin shares the stories of six transgender teenagers. Each chapter focuses on a different teen: Jessy, Christina, Mariah, Cameron, Nat, and Luke. They speak, with honesty and heart, about their gender identity, their decision to transition or not, what they love about being trans, the challenges they've faced, and how they feel about their body. I've always loved my body,
says Jessy, and now I love it even more because it fits how I feel.
Beyond Magenta is a vibrant celebration of the diversity of transgender lives, bodies, and experiences.
In this collection of smart, funny, thoughtful, fierce, and touching essays, remarkable writers of different races, ages, and genders speak about their life and living with a disability. Inspired and edited by activist Alice Wong, this anthology captures the range and complexity of the disabled experience. Some of the essays focus on body positivity and acceptance. Others are about love, family, work, art, and activism. As a whole, Disability Visibility is a celebration of disability culture and of talented, passionate people who accept being disabled as a part of who they are.
In this warm, informative, forthright, and often funny memoir, disability advocate Carly Findlay shares her own story, as well as reflects more broadly on the disability rights movement. Findlay has a rare skin condition that gives her a visible facial difference. She writes about the startled, horrified looks and demeaning assumptions she's routinely faced, and offers listeners an array of useful tools for unlearning ableist behaviors in their own lives. Read by the author, Say Hello is an engaging blend of personal anecdotes and thought-provoking discussions about beauty privilege, facial difference, and disability justice.
While body positivity isn't the focus of this hilarious collection of essays, it is one of the many subjects comedian Phoebe Robinson explores with her trademark humor. She writes about society's impossible beauty standards, especially as they relate to Black women's lives, as well as money, dating, intersectional feminism, and what it's like living in a body that rarely conforms to mainstream ideas about womanhood. Her audio performance is pure gold—her comedic timing and dramatic delivery transform this thought-provoking and funny book into something truly unforgettable.
Fiction
This exuberant YA novel is a love letter to fat and fabulous girls everywhere. Willowdean Dickson has always been comfortable in her own skin. In her new job at a fast-food joint, she meets and falls for Bo, a former jock from a nearby private school, and she's a little surprised when he falls for her right back. Suddenly, Will starts to doubt herself and her body in ways she never has. The solution? Will decides to enter the Miss Teen Blue Bonnet Pageant and prove to everyone, including herself, that she deserves to take up all the space in the world.
Body positivity takes center stage in this joyful rom-com about music, fame, and staying true to yourself. Skye Shin knows that fat girls aren't supposed to want to dance. But she's always dreamed of being a K-Pop star, and she's not about to let anything stop her. So, she auditions for a reality TV competition that seeks to find the next K-Pop sensation. But the journey to making her dream come true comes with unexpected complications: the fatphobia of the music industry, sudden fame, and the sparks that fly between her and a fellow competitor—the thin and hunky Henry Cho.
This coming of age novel follows a gay teenager over the course of his first summer living away from home. Marty arrives in London with his oboe, excited to start building a music career for himself—and to be openly gay away from his family's disapproval. But underneath his perfect-seeming life of new friends and a great boyfriend, Marty is dealing with ever-growing anxiety, disordered eating, and insecurity about his body. This is an intense listen at times, as Marty's journey isn't an easy one. But it's ultimately a hopeful, celebratory story about learning to love yourself.
Podcasts
In this Audible Original podcast, Elizabeth Banks delivers sex education like you've never had it before. With a mix of personal stories, guest interviews, and informative conversations, each episode welcomes listeners to explore all things related to sex and sexuality in an open, non-judgmental space. In My Body, My Podcast, Banks reflects on how sex and sexuality affect all aspects of our lives, and how talking honestly about body image, pleasure, menstruation, and more has the power to transform countless individual lives and our whole society.
After she suffered a seizure that left her with facial injuries and scars, Australian plus-size model Robyn Lawley realized that, though she'd always been an advocate for body positivity, there were many people she, and others, were leaving out of the conversation. In this podcast, Lawley takes a critical look at the body positivity movement, expanding the conversation to include bodies that are too often still left on the margins. She interviews people with all kinds of bodies about their life, work, passions, and challenges, sharing stories that reflect just how varied, and beautiful, our bodies can be.
