Every day, young girls are flooded with images of celebrities; of their bodies, of their lifestyles. You only have to turn on the TV, or log on to Twitter to see the latest installment of Miley Cyrus twerking her way across a stage, or the latest celebrity scandal. Increasingly outrageous behaviour from supposed ‘role models’ got me thinking; in a world full of celebs and their unobtainable figures and mountains of bad choices- who can young girls look to for a real, positive role model?

I found my answer whilst watching a recent Newsnight interview with Jennifer Lawrence. Rising to new levels of fame as heroine Katniss in The Hunger Games, Lawrence won her first Oscar at just 22- and her success isn’t going to be slowing down anytime soon. During the interview, Lawrence said something that really caught my attention; ‘We have the ability to control this image that young girls are going to be seeing’. This grabbed my attention immediately. I shun the idea of celebrity idols- but the more I read and heard about Lawrence, the more I began reconsidering my view.

It is incredibly refreshing to see a beautiful and successful actress not crack to the pressures that Hollywood puts their biggest and brightest under. Lawrence has publicly admitted to being asked to lose weight for roles, and refusing these demands, insisting on portraying a realistic image to her fans; one of strength and health, not skin and bones. Given the images that young girls are exposed to every day, Jennifer Lawrence seems like the perfect antidote to the ridiculous expectations of today’s society.

Not only does Lawrence promote a positive and healthy body image (and an extremely beautiful Dior-filled red carpet wardrobe), but she also delivers an equally important message by being completely and unapologetically herself. Her sense of humor is infectious (after watching more interviews than I care to mention, I find myself laughing along with her witty remarks). Even when she fell on her way to collect her Oscar, Lawrence overcame the moment with an endearing ease.

I’m not one to gush, especially when celebrities are concerned, but I stand corrected; celebrities can certainly provide us with positive role models, and Jennifer Lawrence is clear proof- showing her fans that you can be successful, beautiful, healthy and strong without losing any of yourself along the way.