15 Instagram Accounts to Follow for Eating Disorder Recovery Inspiration
Although eating disorders can develop for various reasons, the media, which often encourages disordered eating and body dissatisfaction, certainly doesn’t help. In response, a wave of eating disorder warriors have been dismantling these negative and unhelpful media messages on Instagram, speaking out against dieting and unrealistic beauty standards in favor of body acceptance and healthy relationships with food, movement, health and our bodies.
Because surrounding ourselves with healing messages can be so helpful in recovery, we complied some of our favorite eating disorder recovery Instagram accounts. By choosing to fill our feeds with self-affirming, healing, body positive and anti-diet content, we can help change the conversation not only for ourselves, but for others struggling.
So hit the follow button on the next 15 Instagram accounts and fill your feed with recovery-worthy content:
1. Beating Eating Disorders
This organization gives a voice to all people at any point in their eating recovery journey. They acknowledge the struggle with honest conversation while reminding us that hope is alive and recovery is possible.
2. Christy Harrison, MPH, RD, CDN
Christy Harrison is an anti-diet dietician, certified intuitive eating counselor and the host of Food Psych Podcast. Between the podcast and her Instagram content, Christy hopes to help others heal their relationship with food and make peace with their bodies. It’s a great place to find many voices who are all currently healing in different ways.
3. Recovery Warriors™
People who struggle with eating disorders commonly struggle with other mental illnesses. Recovery Warriors™ is dedicated to boosting the emotional intelligence and resilience of people struggling with depression, anxiety and eating disorders; making it a great account to find content that touches on multiple aspects of recovery.
4. Denise Bidot, founder of the No Wrong Way Movement
Denise, an international model who has defied expectations as a “curvy” woman in the fashion industry, founded the No Wrong Way Movement to encourage everyone to embrace their most authentic selves. She hopes to continue creating a safe space for self-love and self-acceptance for all, because it’s important to remember that there is no wrong way to have a body.
5. Ryan Sheldon
Ryan Sheldon is an advocate for men struggling with eating disorders and body image issues. He started the blog, “Confessions of A Binge Eater,” where he speaks openly and honestly about his own struggles with binge eating and what it’s like to be a male who is struggling.
6. EFF YOUR BEAUTY STANDARDS™
EFF YOUR BEAUTY STANDARDS™ is a social media movement created by plus-size model, Tess Holliday, and is moderated by a team of “body positive babes” from around the world. The account highlights a diverse array of individuals of all different sizes, shapes, genders, ethnicities, races and ages — operating under the premise that “hate and body shaming is not tolerated.”
7. Michelle Haas, founder of The Body Love Experiment™
Michelle is creating a community for women to discover how to stop the body hatred, ditch the diet culture and love the body they have right now. Her content helps us explore how to truly acknowledge, appreciate and love our bodies.
8. Kelly Roberts
Kelly is using purposeful movement to inspire others to say “yes” to themselves, while making them laugh hysterically in the process. Kelly started the hashtag #sportsbrasquad to encourage everybody and every body to run without shame. The Sports Bra Squad is also a great community of women who uplift one another.
9. Marcela S.
Marcela is a Brazilian illustrator and a self-love, mental health and body positive enthusiast. Her drawings break down common insecurities we might be struggling with. She reminds us that it’s OK to struggle, but that you are never alone in this fight.
10. Jessamyn Stanley, author of “Every Body Yoga”
Jessamyn Stanley is a yoga teacher, writer and body positive advocate. She is adamant on moving her body not based on how it looks, but how it feels. Jessamyn is a great reminder to move in purposeful ways that make us feel good, not as a way to punish ourselves or as a negative coping mechanism.
11. Drop the Label Movement
Drop the Label Movement is a newer Instagram campaign that replaces traditional clothing sizes with positive affirmations to drop literal and figurative labels. By dropping labels, we can also being to drop pressure and expectation of body size and shape that is often prevalent in common media messaging.
12. Kylie Mitchell MPH, RDN, LD
Kylie Mitchell is an eating disorder dietician and runs the blog, ImmaEatThat. Kylie has been open about her own struggles with ED and is honest about her personal recovery journey while working as a dietician. Kylie’s content incorporates recipes, tips and tricks to move away from a diet mentality and into more intuitive ways of eating and moving.
13. Circles of Change
Circles of Change is a nonprofit organization that incorporates many voices and stories to show how ED recovery isn’t a one size fits all path. Their mission to reclaim health, redefine beauty and restore the relationship serves as an important reminder that ED is multifaceted.
14. Silvana Denker, Initiator of the BodyLove campaign
Silvana is a plus-size model and photographer who is attempting to spread body love to everybody and every body. Her BodyLove campaign is helping individuals accept the skin they are in without shame or judgment. Because sometimes seeing others unapologetically embrace themselves can inspire us to start doing the same.
15. Julie Anne Ledbetter
Julie actually started on Instagram as part of the “fitstagram” community. Although fitness and fitness inspiration are beneficial for some, for others, it might not always send the right messages during hard recovery days. Julie is breaking down “fitspiration” and keeping it real using both her personal account and the account Embrace Your Real.
And if you’ve decided to follow these 15 Instagram accounts and are feeling really ambitious, try unfollowing 15 Instagram accounts that you know aren’t helpful to your eating disorder recovery. Small steps add up to great change, even if you can’t see it immediately. We believe in you.
If you or someone you know is struggling with an eating disorder, you can call the National Eating Disorders Association Helpline at 1-800-931-2237.
Lead images via Marcel S. and Kelly K. Roberts Instagram Accounts
Hi wonderful humans! My name is Haley -- dog mom, creator, storyteller and advocate. I joined The Mighty because I believe we heal and support one another by sharing our beautiful but sometimes difficult stories. Like many of you, I'm in the process of learning to have compassion for both the darkness and light that lies within me. I'm so glad you and I are here, because we are #MightyTogether.
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