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Entity explains how Miss Universe slams body-shaming critics.Siera Bearchell, image via the Miss Universe website

Miss Universe contestant Siera Bearchell is not standing for any critiques of her body.

Ahead of Sunday’s pageant, where she will compete as Miss Canada, she has used a series of Instagram posts to call out trolls who are commenting on the fact that she has gained weight since her earlier contests.

via TLC

Bearchell acknowledges that she had gained a little weight but says, “I am more confident, capable, wise, humble and passionate than ever before.”

In honor of this fierce stand against body shamers, ENTITY presents four lessons we can learn about body positivity from Miss Canada.

1 Self-worth isn’t attached to any specific number

Bearchell admits in her posts that she has gained some weight – but who cares? That’s not really anyone else’s business and it certainly doesn’t impact her ability to be a great Miss Canada.

“We always focus on the things we wish we could change rather than loving everything we are,” she says.

2 Your physical appearance is not a sign of how healthy you are

People come in different shapes and sizes. That’s just the way it is. Assuming someone is in poor health because they weigh a certain amount isn’t just rude… it’s inaccurate.

Miss Canada shoots down claims that her having gained weight meant she had lost discipline. “It takes discipline to be true to ourselves in a world that is constantly trying to shape us into something we are not,” she fires back.

She also shares that she was less healthy back in previous competitions, having starved herself to stay thin. “There were days I would eat a protein bar, workout for hours and struggle to fall asleep because I as so hungry,” she admits. 

via Giphy

And even then she “never felt good enough.” Luckily, she has since been able to put the hate behind her and work on her own self love and approval. 

“My body is not naturally lean and that’s okay. I am healthy. I am fit. I am confident. I am me,” she writes. 

3 “True beauty and validation start from within”

Bearchell won’t let haters upset her or fall back into dangerous weight loss patterns.

She is continuing to share photos of herself along with inspirational messages such as, “This is who I am right now and I’m okay with it, so you should be too.”

4 You can’t let others affect how you think of yourself

Bearchell has slammed the beauty pageant stereotype that required her to be rail-thin.

“Miss Universe is an organization built on the foundation of inclusion and diversity… The mission of Miss Universe is to provide the tools for women to reach their personal best and use those skills to serve others,” she writes.

via Giphy

She is happy to keep working toward that mission and won’t be derailed by negativity. “In fact, the negativity only fuels my fire to keep working on a platform that so evidently needs to be progressed. This journey has just begun,” she says.

READ MORE: Alicia Machado Speaks Out Against Being Called ‘Miss Piggy’ and ‘Miss Housekeeping’

The clap back comes after the 2016 election shed light on Donald Trump’s infamous body shaming of a former Miss Universe, 1996 winner Alicia Machado.

Per her account, she had gained all of 12 pounds following the competition, which Trump found unacceptable, calling her “Miss Piggy” and telling Fox News, “She gained a massive amount of weight, and it was a real problem.”

In one particularly reprehensible instance, Trump accompanied teenage Machado to a gym and brought along reporters to watch her work out.

via Fox

She later told the New York Times that experience resulted in years of struggling with eating disorders.

“I was sick – anorexia and bulimia for five years,” she said, later adding, “Over the past 20 years I’ve gone to a lot of psychologists to combat this.”

Aside from the horrifying reality that the same man who put a teenage girl through enough trauma to prompt eating disorders and 20 years of therapy is currently our president, no one should be policing anyone else’s body.

READ MORE:  Here Are the Body Positive Instagrams You Should Be Following

Bearchell has continued to share that message – and to stand up for herself – in recent days, sharing posts with hashtag “#confidentlybeautiful, #bodydiversity and #beautybeyondsize.”

Cheer her and her perfect-at-any-size body on as she competes in the Miss Universe Pageant, airing Sunday on Fox.

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