Cassey Ho is a 28-year-old fitness instructor and creator of Blogilates.  You may not think a fitness instructor, of all people, would be the target of online hate, yet like Pink, Kelly Clarkson, and so many others, she’s put through the body-shaming ringer. Ho is talking back to her experience fielding comments like “trainer? really? tone up the belly fat and love handles” in a new video called “The ‘Perfect’ Body.”

After Ho (as she’s played in the video) comes back from a run, she glances down at her phone and sees nasty comments targeted at her body. She strips down to her bra and underwear, and with a live-action Photoshop, scrubs down her waist and thighs. She enhances her butt and breasts and changes her eye color. She takes a selfie to prove to her “fans” that she now has the “perfect” body. The video leaves the audience with the question “What would you change?” — which, of course, women often pose to one another as a seemingly harmless conversation topic.

READ MORE: Boosting Body Image: 4 Campaigns to Change Your Perspective

Watch the full video here:

People StyleWatch spoke to Ho about her decision to make the video as a statement against bullying. Ho said:

“Our friends, our families and just random commenters can really change how we feel about our bodies, and make us feel insecure. That video was really just me stripping down to my raw self and showing everybody that no matter who you are, these things really hurt.”

Ho said she was overwhelmed by the support for the video, which already has over 800,000 views, and shared an Instagram with her gratitude and surprise for all the support. She wrote: “The response on yesterday’s post was moving, incredible and shocking all at once.”

View this post on Instagram

Wow guys. The response on yesterday's post was moving, incredible, and shocking all at once. Thank you. I couldn't have asked for anything more. I'm happy that many of you clicked over to watch my short film when you saw my new "perfect" body. You experienced the most powerful video I have ever created. You saw me strip down my confidence and self esteem. You saw me raw. Hurt. And vulnerable. For those who haven't seen it yet, please click on the link in my bio. I wanted to post again because there was a weird phenomenon that happened when I posted this photoshopped picture. On the very same photo, I got some people praising me and others degrading me. What worries me is this: 1. That some people think this is real and that it should be "goals." 2. That some people still think it's not good enough. It's tough knowing what's real and what's not when magazine covers and music videos are photoshopped (yes, music videos), Instagram pics are photoshopped, and so many women are getting surgery. How are we to know what kind of beauty can be naturally achieved when everything around us is so deceiving? If you want to know what you can do to help stop body shaming, all I ask is that you share the video with at least 1 person. That's all. After countless days of shooting, weeks of editing, visual effects, and lots of hard work from a team of amazing people, my short film was turned into a reality. Thank you to James Chen, James Jou, and @smashboxcosmetics for helping me bring this to life. #madeatsmashbox I hope you guys liked it. I love you. Stay beautiful.

A post shared by Cassey Ho (@blogilates) on

Not surprisingly, Cassey Ho also got nasty comments about her body on her video about nasty comments about her body. Commenters also wrote in saying they hope to look like her. Ho asks that people not only stop the bullying, but to not consider her trainer’s build to be their “goal” – simply to stop the cycle of criticizing ourselves and others.

READ MORE: Kelly Clarkson Has the Perfect Response to Fat-Shamers

 

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