As a body positivity advocate, Katherine Schwarzenegger likes to get real.
So the self-help book author wasn’t afraid to reveal her shortcomings to Us Weekly at the #AerieREAL Talk event in L.A. earlier this month. “I have insecurities,” she admitted on Saturday, December 1. “I think anybody who says they haven’t struggled with insecurities is lying.”
For Schwarzenegger — who has been dating Chris Pratt since the summer — most of her struggles came in school. “Especially when I was in high school and in college, it’s just learning and feeling comfortable and confident in your own skin and figuring out what you’re gonna do with your life and what your passions are… that all contribute to how you view yourself and how confident you are in your own skin,” she said. “So I think that a lot of that comes with age, but there are definitely still times where you have insecurities, and we’re all human.”
The 28-year-old lifestyle blogger added that finding true balance and mental health “is about how you bring yourself back from that.” For her, that means surrounding herself with the right group: “People that love me and care about me and want what’s best for me, and who also make me laugh and make me feel happy and good about myself,” she explained.
She’s certainly found the right combination, revealing that at the moment, “[I feel] like my most confident and my happiest self, definitely.”
Working with Aerie has been a dream for the author of 2010’s Rock What You’ve Got: Secrets to Loving Your Inner and Outer Beauty From Someone Who’s Been There and Back. “I’m really interested in body image and any movement or any brand that talks about positive body image,” she gushed of her ambassador role. “I think it’s so important for women of all ages. When I did my first book, it was all about body image and spreading awareness about having a positive body image, and so when I heard about what Aerie is doing, I think it’s totally aligned with what I believe in.”
The increased prevalence of Instagram, Facebook and Twitter since she wrote her that book has only served to convince her more of the value of body positivity. “I think it’s really important especially in today’s society, with everything that we have on social media, to be able to have such a good brand that’s promoting positive body image. It’s really incredible.”
Schwarzenegger — who recently enjoyed a date at Disneyland with Pratt, 39, and his 6-year-old son, Jack (with his ex Anna Faris) — also relies on fitness to keep her balanced. “I’m really into Pilates right now and hiking,” she noted. “I have a dog, so being able to go on hikes and get to be outdoors is really great for me.”
With reporting by Carly Sloane
