The Body Positivity Movement - harmful or healing
The body positivity movement initially felt healing to me. It was about embracing the idea that everyone should love their bodies as they are. I realized that many women, like myself, have often felt uncomfortable in their own skin. But as the movement gained traction on social media, I found myself shifting away from judging my body based on whether I looked good in a swimsuit. Instead, I started to appreciate my body for what it could do like getting me through a long day or powering me through a run. It became more about gratitude for everything my body allows me to experience.
As the conversation around body positivity expanded, it started to raise questions: should we encourage everyone, including people who are underweight or overweight, to love their bodies? Or should we gently point out concerns about their health?
This made me reflect on the movement and its message. Ideally, yes. We should all learn to love our bodies through all the changes they go through. From mothers openly sharing their postpartum bodies to individuals documenting extreme weight loss, I've come to appreciate that we all have vulnerabilities about how we look. One thing body positivity does well is encourage self-love, but it sometimes overlooks the need to respect and empathize with others. We’re all in different places with our bodies, and we need more understanding for that.
Fitness equipment
It's also difficult to fully embrace the movement when, despite the progress we've made, there's still a lingering "ideal" body type, often dictated by media and celebrities. It used to be about being extremely slim, especially in the early 2000s. Then, the focus shifted to being curvy but still skinny in certain areas such as our stomach. Now, it seems the pendulum is swinging back toward being thin again. Even with the body positivity movement, there's still this underlying message: if you're not thin, you're not the standard.
Like any movements, body positivity needs to evolve. Loving our bodies should remain at the core, but we also need to foster more empathy toward others. Our appearance shouldn't dictate how we're treated. The movement should also promote basic public health strategies, encouraging us to keep our bodies strong and healthy. This means moving our bodies in ways we enjoy, whether it's dancing, running, or pilates, and nourishing ourselves with balanced, nutritious foods. It’s about feeling good and energized, not just about staying slim.
We should also remind ourselves to rest and be patient. Taking care of our bodies doesn't mean we have to be perfect every day. If we miss a workout, that's fine. It’s about balance. The body positivity movement needs to focus on holistic care, not just loving our bodies as they are, but also treating them well. Because, like anything we love, our bodies deserve care and attention.
