The Message All Fat Women Deserve To Hear

"They can. And we do. And we will."

"This is for all the people who have spent their entire life feeling horrible about their bodies."

That's how writer and activist Jes Baker introduces her new project, #FatGirlsCan, in a video PSA that may or may not make you cry (no judgment).

"We are told that if we are fat, we can't," Baker explains. "But the reality is -- we can."

In the video, released this week, Baker explains how people are taught that "fat" is a bad word, and that the size of their body precludes them from doing certain things. The project is tied to Baker's book Things No One Will Tell Fat Girls, which will be released next week.

Baker told The Huffington Post that she thought about all the things people tell fat women they can't do, and what she wishes people told them instead.

"What was the ultimate thing that no one tells fat girls?" Baker told HuffPost. "My answer was: that they CAN. They can find love, they can win Emmys, they can whitewater raft, they can have healthy pregnancies, they can ride roller coasters, they can break fashion rules, they can be professional dancers, they can be rockstars, they can have amazing sex, they can, they can, they CAN. And I see it every day. And the best part of this message is that it applies to all bodies."

Baker invites women to share photographs of themselves on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter doing things they were told they couldn't or shouldn't, using the hashtag #FatGirlsCan.

"I can't wait to show the world your power," Baker wrote in an open letter to women she hopes will participate. "I can't wait to celebrate your body and resiliency with you. I can't wait to show the world THAT WE CAN, GODDAMIT."

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