Some might feel uncomfortable talking about their own bodies. Trust me, I know – I’m a plus-sized girl. It’s hard to talk about our physical selves without letting our insecurities colour our faces; as well as thinking that our bodies are not and will never be the ideal body type for society.
Thanks to the Body Positivity movement, we can openly talk about our bodies and exist without the fear of judgment from others. But, simply thinking positively about our bodies is just not cutting it anymore – which is why a new movement is slowly surfacing that we should all advocate for. Even health practitioners are all for it – Body Neutrality.
Before we dive into the whole notion of this new movement, let’s look back at how Body Positivity began:
Body Positivity
When the Body Positivity movement emerged, we were so grateful. It meant that we could gradually grow to love our skin, our flaws, our stretch-marks and our rolls without caring what anybody else thought. Celebrities like Lizzo and an international model like Tess Holiday constantly promote body positivity and advocate for self-love regardless of one’s body type.
However, as time passed, hopping from self-deprecating to self-love proved to be a lot more harmful than we thought. It’s a jarring mindset to be in, which makes loving yourself more like a façade than actually TRULY loving yourself. This would then lead to body dysmorphia, eating disorders and even depression, which is extremely detrimental to anybody.
In addition, the Body Positivity movement was hijacked – a development which led to the neglect of two groups: the plus-sized and the disabled, who are in most need of support. Also, the Body Positivity movement has changed its angle from loving and accepting bodies to fixing them – which completely derailed its raison d’etre.
Hence, instead of looking at your body and finding ways to fix it, the Internet says that you should accept and love your body the way it is. THIS is Body Neutrality.
Body Neutrality
Body Neutrality literally says “F*** it, this is how my body is and I will live with it,” while still appreciating what it can still do for you. It’s not as harmful as Body Positivity and it’s not as positive too. It’s just you accepting the way your body is, how it looks and just simply letting it be.
Adopting the neutral body mindset can also free you from conversing about bodies in general, and let you focus more on things that you want to achieve in life. It’s so liberating to just let your concerns dissipate about your body and paying more attention to your career path, your loved ones and yourself.
Being honest about your body relieves you of the weight of feeling horrible about yourself, and it also means that you don’t have to condemn yourself for not being “body positive” enough to begin with.
Which One Is Better?
While we do still believe that advocating for Body Positivity should be the way to gradually accepting our bodies, ultimately, the best way to live a better life, is to go for Body Neutrality. It’s the safest way to accept and appreciate your entire being and not be so hard on yourself.
What do you think? Are you for Body Positivity OR Body Neutrality?
More on self-empowerment? Read these:
Alive And Kicking: 6 Signs That You Are Doing Better Than You Think You Are
https://lipstiq.com/mental-health/187653/affirmative-action-its-time-to-practice-positive-morning-self-affirmations-girlfriend/
