This Influencer Just Proved How Deceptive Instagram Can Be With Side-By-Side Stomach Photos

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Noelle Downing, a Brooklyn-based blogger, has made a name for herself through her body-positive social media presence. The 28-year-old has called out Instagram for its double standard on nude photos and has repeatedly shared photos of herself to promote body diversity on social media. Her latest photo, however, may just be one of her most powerful.

Downing shared a set of selfies to Instagram on Monday, March 9, which showed her posing in a sports bra and legging set. In one photo, Downing has her leggings pulled up past her belly button, and in the other, they hang just below her waist. She paired the photo with a caption explaining why she shared the post and talked about how deceiving social media can be.

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"Yes—these photos were taken about 3 seconds apart," she wrote in her caption. "No—it’s not a before and after. I wanted to share to show y’all how easy it is to make a photo look a certain way. How posing, the placement of your pants, and angles can change how you look. Remember—social media is all a filter and it’s usually our highlight real (which is ok!) but just remember to be kind to yourself ❤️ there’s so many different perspectives ❤️"

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Downing's followers were quick to applaud her on her honest, unfiltered photos, and shared their support in the comments. In less than a day, Downing's post received over 37,000 likes and 500-plus comments.

"Really appreciate this," one person wrote. "I’m always striving for body positivity but sometimes it’s hard when I lose perspective, so thank you!"

Another person added, "Needed this today. I'm five days from my wedding and all I can think about is how I don't look like I want to because I had brain surgery. But this is a great reminder it does not matter and I'm going to be happy and loved no matter how I look in the photos."

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This isn't the first time Downing has spoken out about body positivity. In February, she called out Instagram on their double standards on posting nude photos after her topless photo was removed.

“It’s cute when a size two wears a glittery glam dress that’s low cut but when a size 10 does it’s unacceptable and can’t be approved for posting,” she says. “The double standards are just still very much there even if not directly from Instagram. I think women are stunning at each and every size—XXXS to 10X. There’s no room for size discrimination on social media, in ads, and in real life.”

Downing's posts are clearly making a statement and sending a positive message to her followers. Here's to hoping we see more posts like this.

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