About the Project
This project was started to advocate for eating disorder awareness, prevention, and education. $1 from each of your purchases is donated to a local eating disorder organization.
About the Owner
Hello! Nice to meet you, my name is Gia Dougherty and I am a 26 year old former pageant girl, advocate, and collegiate athletic trainer. I received my Bachelors and Masters in areas focusing on health and sports medicine. I fell in love with advocating for eating disorder awareness 8 years ago after being released from treatment for anorexia and bulimia.
I started this project because as I started to share my story of my eating disorder recovery, I met a plethora of people who had gone through the same thing. I was moved by how many people said “I had one too but I’ve never talked about it with anyone else”. There is strength in numbers and it is the goal of this company to create a community of people who can come together and support each other around body acceptance.
We hope that you can wear this clothing out when you’re grocery shopping and another person approaches you and comments on our motto “All Bodies Are Good Bodies”. We want you to be able to meet someone new and talk about body acceptance and what that means to you. The problem still lies in the lack of conversation around eating disorders/body acceptance/body dysmorphia ect. Start the conversation and don’t let it end. Welcome to the family, where every person, shape, and size are welcome.
Why “The Body Acceptance Project”
The Body Acceptance Project clothing line was officially launched in November of 2020.
“Body Acceptance” was chosen over “Body Positivity” because body acceptance , in all honesty, is more attainable. Body positivity is pushed heavily in society, and it is our mission to normalize acceptance of the body that you live in. Not every person can look in the mirror and love exactly what they see, and that is OKAY.
What you CAN do, is look in the mirror and accept how far you have come because you’ve worked damn hard to build a relationship with yourself. “F Diet Culture” speaks to those learning how to build a healthy relationship with their body.
Accept your body because you’re only given one- The Body Acceptance Project’s goal is to help others foster an accepting relationship with the body they live in.
Our Ambassadors
Skylar Buetow
Hey everyone, I’m Skylar! I’m so incredibly excited to be able to represent The Body Acceptance Project and to help start the important conversation around body image and eating disorders.
I graduated in fall 2020 with dual degrees in Art Education and Painting and I hope to start a career as a full time art teacher as soon as I can! As someone who has struggled with EDNOS since I was about 15, this project means that I can help normalize the conversation around body image so more people feel comfortable coming forward and getting help.
Rebecca Cords
Hi, my name is Rebecca and I am 24 years old. I currently attend Elmhurst University in Illinois majoring in psychology and minor in coaching. I recently got accepted to Southern Illinois University of Edwardsville in Illinois for their master program, Sport & Exercise Psychology Master Program.
I came across The Body Acceptance Project a few months ago and fell in love with the idea. I am in recovery from an eating disorder and to spread awareness and be an advocate for people who do have eating disorders. I recently celebrated 4 years of recovery January 14th, 2021. I’m excited to be here and to spread awareness!