Below are five books about positive body image that I think anyone struggling with body image will benefit from. These books have helped me gain confidence and I hope that they will help some of you as well!

Women: Body-Positive Art to Inspire and Empower by Carol Rossetti

This one is perfect for those who appreciate a good picture book. The author, Carol Rossetti, does an amazing job of storytelling through her illustrations on each page. It’s a super easy read and the message will leave you feeling empowered. 

This book explores the real-life stories of numerous women and their struggles with body image, mental health, and oppression in general. As many of you know, I have had my share of struggles with body image, and I found some of these stories deeply relatable. 

Reading about how others have experienced body insecurities hit close to home, but it made me realize I wasn’t the only one. By the end of this book, I was overwhelmed with a sense of unity, self-love, and strength knowing that others have felt the same way I have.  

Body Kindness: Transform Your Health from the Inside Out–and Never Say Diet Again by Rebecca Scritchfield 

This book is truly liberating if you have ever felt like you’re not good enough or that your happiness depends on how you look. As a woman, I feel like we have all been there at one time or another, and this book is a helpful guide to overcoming this negative way of thinking. 

Body Kindness is a great read for anyone interested in understanding the psychology behind negative body image. The book focuses heavily on gaining genuine happiness and self-acceptance through positive mental and behavioral transformation. This may sound complex, but there are many tips, exercises, and visuals throughout the book that make it easier to understand how to achieve overall well-being. 

This book helped me identify the things I actually care about in my life and gave me a feeling of control over my actions and thoughts. It encouraged me to break away from the illusion of meaningless goals created by society and I gained confidence in myself as a result.

Beautiful You: A Daily Guide to Radical Self-Acceptance by Rosei Molinary 

This is a perfect book for the self-proclaimed “planners” or those who like a daily routine they can stick to. A daily action plan is outlined in this book for the entire year. Most of the chapters are pretty short, making for an easy read, and every chapter marks one day of the year. 

Each chapter consists of a short inspirational introduction from the author and a task for that day. Daily tasks such as creating a jar to house all the negative things you don’t want to think or say about yourself anymore, encourages self-love and helps break negative habits. This book really teaches you how to not be so hard on yourself. 

Big Girl: How I Gave Up Dieting and Got a Life by Kelsey Miller 

This one is a memoir about the author, Kelsey Miller, and her weight loss journey. In the book, she talks about the countless diets she attempted and the frustration she felt when she didn’t lose weight. 

Throughout this book, Kelsey recounts how she stopped doing fad diets and obsessing over calories and instead learned to be healthy by listening to her body and doing what was best for her. 

This book is super relatable if you have ever struggled to lose weight or felt pressured to be a certain weight. It’s a failure to success story about not giving up and learning to accept yourself. The author tells her story in such a funny and entertaining way, you’ll be hooked until the end.

Body Positive Power: Because Life Is Already Happening and You Don’t Need Flat Abs to Live It by Megan Jayne Crabbe 

You know that mixed feeling you get when you’re ready for summer, but your body isn’t? SAME! Apparently we aren’t the only ones because Instagram influencer, Megan Jayne Crabbe, discusses in her book how negative body image caused her to put her life on hold.

Megan shares her personal struggles with dieting and eating disorders and shares her secret to achieving body positivity. She also addresses the unrealistic body expectations that women put on themselves and the pressure we feel to look a certain way. 

If you’re over holding yourself back in life because you don’t believe you’re good enough or attractive enough, you need this book! The truth is, life is happening regardless of how you feel. This book teaches you that you don’t need to go through life feeling ashamed of your body. 

Living in a world where there is so much pressure on girls to look a certain way, it’s no surprise that we tend to pick ourselves apart. It’s important to remember that you are worthy of self-love and not be so hard on yourself.

I learned so much from these body positivity books and my hope is that you all can take something positive away from them as well!