Photo Credit- The Establishment

I was recently mentioned in an article by The Establishment magazine which you can read Here . The article focuses on the so-called ‘whitewash’ in the wellness industry and I was mentioned alongside Charla who runs the blog That Girl Cooks Healthy as one of two black bloggers who have successful blogs but who haven’t have the same opportunities as white bloggers.

The article discusses the writers personal experience of not feeling welcomed in certain fitness environments around London and conversations which she has had from nutritionists who feel that they have been overlooked because of the colour of their skin.

Now in all honesty I haven’t been directly affected by this. Manchester is a very multicultural city and I have always felt welcomed at blogging events. I do get the writers point about yoga though. It is heavily marketed towards slim white women and as I am 5’1 and curvy I do sometimes feel out of place. I think if it was marketed to everyone it would prevent more women of different shapes, sizes and races to embrace it more.

When it comes to the Wellness industry we see large brands using a range of models, however too many UK-based brands are using 18-24 year-old slim ‘Instafamous’ models to front campaigns. However these girls don’t represent the range of body types in the country. Serena Williams for example is a top athlete and we always talk about her body. Yet we rarely see her featured in magazines in the UK as a body to aim for. My genetics as a 5’1, busty black girl will never allow me to have the body type that these brands or publications want us to aspire to. So I would love to see more girls with my body type represented.

Have you read the article? What are your thoughts?