Instagram Model Sjana Earp Responds to Criticism of Her Thin Body

Sjana Earp shuts down body shaming critics on her Instagram. (Photo: We Are Handsome)

20-year-old Australian model and yogi Sjana Earp boasts an Instagram following of one million and preaches positivity, self-love, and healthy habits. The only problem is that she faces regular backlash regarding her slender 5’9” frame, and yesterday she strayed from her usual posts about her solo travels and yoga routine to address the body shaming comments. “I simply block any user and delete their comments if they are critical of me OR anyone else OR if they swear because I want this space (my profile) to be a place of love, empowerment and posivity.. [sic] Not judgment and criticism,” she wrote.

Sjana Earp says she is “so used to peoples [sic] comments on [her] external appearance that they no longer bother [her].” (Photo: Instagram)

Earp’s message is strong, and she is sure to add that all body types should be celebrated, and reverse body shaming is still body shaming. She notes that the healthiest body goal is to strive only for healthiest version of your own body. “The body I have, as imperfect or ‘skinny’ or ‘gross’ as people may think it is, is MY imperfect body,” says Earp in her post. “I am not going to apologise for posting an image of myself.. I’m not going to shame my own body because other people don’t believe it is attractive or ‘normal’. I have never and will never suggest that other people should aspire to have my body. In fact, it’s the opposite. Me posting an inage [sic] which has my body in it is about celebrating the human form DESPITE the way it does or doesn’t meet social expectations and standards.” Her mantra of general positivity is impressive and uplifting, given that she faced a bout of depression in her teen years, even reaching the point of attempted suicide. She discusses how she has overcome those dark days in a video on her YouTube and has since learned to be “one of the happiest people she knows.” She’s done that through realizing that the exciting part of life is “not knowing what lies ahead,” and paying attention to “the little things that she loves in life” in addition to asking for help from a doctor and her family. She identifies healthy food, regular activity, and surrounding herself with people she loves as some of the key ingredients to her continued happiness.

Sjana Earp preaches a healthy lifestyle as a path to happiness. (Photo: Instagram)

Earp is a lifelong gymnast and considers herself a yogi and athlete before a model. She recently appeared in Australian designer We Are Handsome’s show featuring athletes instead of models. “We will not cast skinny models or skeletal frames, we look for real, active and healthy women,” the designer behind the brand, Katinka Somers, told Daily Mail Australia. “We’re also not shunning skinny women. There are lots of women out there that no matter what they eat, won’t be a robust shape. We’re just aiming for a different shape of women to other designers.”

Sjana Earp was featured in We Are Handsome’s fashion show that used athletes as models. (Photo: We Are Handsome)

On her personal website, Earp identifies her definition of a healthy body in response to fans questioning her weight. “For me ‘weight’ is completely irrelevant; It’s just a number; it doesn’t define me, it doesn’t make me a good or a bad person, it doesn’t make me ‘pretty’ or ‘ugly’, and it certainly has no relevance to how fit or healthy I am. For me, weight is one of those measurements that the doctor may sometimes look at, along with pulse and blood pressure, to check that medically everything is going ok,” she writes. To Earp, feeling good is an indicator of health. She suggests that her fans who question whether their bodies are in optimal health ask themselves 8 questions:

“Do I eat from a wide variety of foods and food groups ?
Do I usually have the energy and vitality to get through each day ?
Are my periods regular ?
Does my body feel comfortable most of the time ?
Do I feel fit, flexible and strong enough to attempt all the activities I want to (within reason) ?
Do I eat regular meals ? and/or when I am hungry ?
Do I get regular exercise most days each week (even just walking or other unscheduled exercise) and lead an active lifestyle ?
Is my hair healthy ? are my teeth healthy ?
Do I feel healthy and alive ?”

“I can answer “yes” to all these,” Earp writes. “All I know is that I am happy and comfortable in my body.” No amount of money can buy good health, and Sjana Earp knows how to keep her body in the best shape possible with a healthy dose of positivity, too.

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