Monalisa Stephen says fat young people are being influenced by what they see in the media encouraging them to hate their bodies.
The actress, guest-starring on the Feminine Expressions Podcast (FEP) produced by the Pulse Podcast Network, said she became a body positivity advocate to ensure fat young people feel loved.
"I don't even understand why people need to judge someone based on the way they look. It'll never get to me. Growing up, I feel like I didn't need anyone to accept and love me — I'm enough.
"I feel like the society's beauty standards and everything in the media made people begin to hate their bodies," she told FEP co-hosts, Teso Uwaibi and Big Chief Enkay.
Stephen also noted that many of the narratives pushed by the society about fat people are false and should be disregarded because they carry ulterior motives.
"Everything they've said about fat people are all lies. I've never been affected by my size and it's never given me a man issue or health issue. I think it's just a way to kill your confidence," she said.
What Did They Say About Fat People Again is the first episode of the second season of the Feminine Expressions Podcast, and new episodes drop at 10 am every Friday.
The pilot episode is available on all streaming platforms, including Spotify, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, and Soundcloud. Follow the Pulse Podcast Network on Instagram, TikTok and Twitter to keep up with new episodes.