Everything Eudaimonia

Hello readers. Hope all is well with you. Thanks for taking the time to read today’s post. As you can see, this week we’re going to unpack the “Body Positivity Movement”, and explore some of the criticisms and strengths it holds. I probably first heard the term “body positivity” at some point during covid. Since then, I’ve explored a lot of literature and opinion pieces on this movement and have formed some solid ideas of my own that I want to share with you all. In this post, I’ll discuss what the “Body Positivity Movement” is, what its origins and goals are, the pros and cons of this movement, and lastly my own opinion and several tips to see your body in a more positive or at the very least, neutral way. So, let’s begin:

What is the Body Positivity Movement?

The Body Positivity Movement is a social movement that advocates for the acceptance and celebration of all bodies regardless of color, size, shape, ability, and gender. This movement was designed to challenge the unrealistic beauty standards we’ve known for so long and inspire people to accept their bodies for what they are, regardless if our culture or society deems them beautiful or worthy.

How and why did the Body Positivity Movement Begin?

After a little bit of reading, I learned that the Body Positivity Movement stems from the major fat acceptance movement of the 1960s. The fat acceptance movement advocated for the rights of overweight individuals and challenged the cultural and societal stigma surrounding those with larger bodies. The Body Positivity Movement became popular again more recently with the rise of social media. This allowed people to have a platform to share their thoughts and push back against structural bias and discrimination in the fashion and beauty industry. I think our society finally hit a breaking point as cyberbullying and body shaming became so normalized. To combat this and the unattainable standards imposed on women regarding beauty and our bodies, activists became much more vocal about these issues, leading to the most modern wave of the body positivity movement.

What is the Body Positivity Movement hoping to accomplish?

The goal of the Body Positivity Movement is to challenge and dismantle the narrow and unrealistic set of beauty standards that promotes the idea that only thin, white, and petite bodies are acceptable. It aims to inspire people to accept and love their bodies regardless of what they look like or are capable of. Promoting, appreciating, and celebrating the diversity of bodies and pushing back against discrimination and body shaming are other goals this movement works to pursue. Lastly, this movement hopes to improve body image and self-confidence amongst individuals of all body shapes and sizes, ethnicities, genders, and backgrounds.

Body Positivity Movement Criticisms

So, now that we know what the Body Positivity Movement is, how it started, and what it aims to achieve let’s unpack some of the common pitfalls. You may be thinking, this all sounds great, how could there possibly be any criticisms of this movement? The truth is however, there are several drawbacks, and I’ll touch on those briefly here:

• It reinforces our cultures’ preoccupation with appearance: The Body Positivity movement promotes the notion that all bodies are beautiful, and while this isn’t a bad thing, it keeps central the preoccupation with appearance that this generation can’t seem to break free from. The agenda and motivation behind this movement can be seen as surface level at times by supporting the fact that how we look is of vital importance. Obviously, our appearance is an important aspect of who we are, but it is not all of who we are. There are so many more things that make us interesting, unique, and lovable in this life aside from our exterior characteristics. We have personalities, souls, thoughts, ideas, passions, and talents that set us apart from everyone else, and our bodies are merely the shell in which those attributes exist. So, while we need our bodies, and it’s unrealistic to not ever care about or think about the way we look, there is so much more to us, and the Body Positivity Movement remains focused on the surface. It’s about feeling good about how you look and affirming that your body is indeed beautiful. And I’m not disagreeing with this point, I just feel that bodies are a neutral thing, and focusing so heavily on how they appear as the center of an entire movement just seems to lack depth to me. 
• Undertones of toxic positivity and unrealistic expectations: Sometimes it’s just not realistic to wake up every morning and tell yourself that you’re hot and your body is this amazing, beautiful thing. Because we won’t ever feel like that every day. I think that’s completely normal, what’s important, however, is how you carry on throughout the day when you don’t love how your body looks. Sometimes the Body Positivity Movement can indeed push aside the fact that there can be real, legitimate issues with body image and people can’t just look in the mirror and say an affirmation to rid themselves of that. I’d argue that being overwhelmingly positive about your body in a way that isn’t genuine or reflective of how you truly feel in a given moment isn’t as productive as just being honest with yourself and trying to explore why you feel that way. The negative emotions about how our bodies look shouldn’t be suppressed or dismissed because then the issue can never be addressed or resolved. While we should learn to love and celebrate our bodies, it should never come from a place that isn’t genuine. The point is to actually love your body. Not to only pretend you do.
• Used for commercialization and advertising to sell products: This is probably the drawback of the Body Positivity Movement that pisses me off most. I genuinely find it frustrating that brands like Dove or Victoria’s Secret are using this movement to increase sales and revenue. The shift in advertising and representation is solely in the of capitalism. Brands see what’s in and what’s trending and take that and run. The truth is, Dove and Victoria’s Secret have made most of their money on a market that monetizes the insecurities of women, yet shifts gears when inclusivity and diversity are “in”. While yes, brands becoming more body-inclusive in their advertising is a wonderful thing, it comes more from a place of accommodation rather than true body liberation and acceptance. These brands also promote the idea that the key to self-esteem and better body image is their product, and we all know that a healthy relationship with our body is not something that can be bought. It never has been and it never will be. Oppression, culture, society, and the larger systems at play have kept so many people dissatisfied with their bodies, and a new pair of leggings, and a push-up bra isn’t going to fix that. And while this isn’t inherently the movement’s fault that companies and marketing teams have used their agenda in misguided ways, it is still an issue that needs to be addressed.
• Ignores health concerns: One of the most talked about concerns of the Body Positivity Movement is that it encourages unhealthy behaviors and ignores the health concerns that can accompany those with bigger bodies. While yes, there can be some musculoskeletal issues and joint problems in those who are severely overweight (which is not most people), the idea that people with bigger bodies are more “unhealthy” is a complete load of bullshit. Your appearance or weight is not a direct indication of health status. Many big people, eat well and move a lot while a lot of thin people are sedentary and survive on Cheetos and Mountain Dew. We can never know the state of someone’s health by looking at them which is why I feel this criticism of the Body Positivity Movement is a hunk of shit. It is also true that you can love your body and still acknowledge you want to make changes or don’t always love your appearance. The Body Positivity Movement isn’t trying to doom anyone into a lifestyle full of healthy behaviors but rather encourages showing love to your body regardless of where you’re at in your wellness journey. It’s important to know and understand that a desire for change isn’t synonymous with hating your body. This criticism is also kind of bullshit because it indicates that “unhealthy” bodies are undeserving of the love and positivity that this movement promotes.

Body Positivity Movement Strengths

Now after visiting some of the known criticisms of the Body Positivity Movement, let’s focus on the strengths it has to offer:

• Encourages self-love and self-acceptance: The main goal of the Body Positivity Movement is to help people love themselves and their bodies more regardless of appearance or ability. The movement has to some extent achieved that. It’s not always easy to accept your body or how you look let alone to love it, but the recent traction of this movement has encouraged people all over the world to embrace their bodies. To show up in this world even with their imperfections and flaws. And I think that’s a beautiful thing.
• Calls out unattainable and unrealistic beauty standards: This movement has been very vocal about the bullshit beauty standards of modern society. The culture may love thin, white, petite, blonde, quiet, put together, and square. But modern society can suck my dick because a lot of beautiful people, beautiful women, exist outside that standard. Ideal can be real, but real is certainly not always ideal in terms of beauty standards. There’s a bigger picture of what women can look like, do, and be. This movement has helped the world see that.
• Improved inclusivity and diversity in the media: Whether the wholesome and genuine intentions of becoming more inclusive in television, advertising, and other media portrayals are there or not, there’s no arguing that this shift has happened. Modeling agencies, movies, news, advertising, books, and other forms of media have made a shift in the kinds of bodies they allow to be seen and portrayed in their companies. While there’s much more work that needs to be done, this is a start.
• Statistics have shown benefits to physical and mental health: Many studies have been done on the effects of the Body Positivity Movement, and results have been indicative of increased motivation for self-care, higher levels of self-compassion, decreased anxiety and depression, reduced stress, reduced body dissatisfaction, decreased eating disorder prevalence, and improved self-esteem. All good things if you ask me.
• Reduces weight stigma: The Body Positivity Movement exists to challenge the societal and cultural stigma of weight. With a greater acceptance of all bodies comes reduced stigma for the ones that have been marginalized and put down throughout history. Culturally there have been negative attitudes towards and beliefs about those with heavier weights, leading to discrimination and unfair treatment, and the Body Positivity Movement has worked to dismantle that mentality.

My Thoughts on the Body Positivity Movement

So as we see the full picture of the Body Positivity Movement, the criticisms, and the strengths, I want to discuss more in-depth my thoughts and opinions about this movement. Fundamentally I think this movement is a good thing and has guided the world in a better direction when it comes to thinking about our bodies and appearance. I think everything this movement stands for pushes society to think and do better. Celebrating, appreciating, and accepting your body are all great things after all. I also think the beauty standards in this society need to be challenged and questioned, all of which this movement does. Pushing back against discrimination and body shaming as a way to promote better body image is an inherently good thing. It’s a great cause. All that this movement has accomplished as far as increasing diversity and inclusion of bodies in the media, reducing weight stigma, and improving mental and physical health are all achievements to be applauded.

However, appearance is not everything, and I think this movement is a little shallow when it comes to that. It is mainly focused on appearance and looks. And I get that we can’t ignore the way we look or pretend that it doesn’t matter. I’d be a lying skank if I said I don’t care how I look. Because I do. But the point is I know that my body isn’t the only thing about me. I am more than a body. We all are. And we can’t just fake loving all the flaws and imperfections we find in ourselves, but rather, we must do better at looking for the non-appearance-based aspects of our character that we genuinely love.

I like the “body neutrality” idea that sees the body as a vessel for what we experience in life. The function of our body is much more important than the aesthetic of it. We’re not here solely to be judged or admired. We have a purpose and our body is the just craft our souls reside in while we figure out whatever that may be, then pursue it, to make this world just a little bit better every day. So to sum up my opinion more simply, I think the Body Positivity Movement is a great thing and has accomplished a lot of wonderful change in this world. I do feel however, that it lacks a little bit of depth and focuses too much on appearance which only reinforces the idea that that’s what a woman’s worth is based on.

How can I feel more positively about my body?

To wrap this post up, I want to give a couple of tips on how to feel more positively about your body. If you want some more depth on the topic of improving body image—please check out this post. So, to feel more positive about your body, here are several things you can do:

1. Respect your body and practice self-care
2. Focus on health and function rather than fixating too much on appearance
3. Avoid comparing yourself and your body to others
4. Dress in clothing that is comfortable and fits your body well
5. Engage in a hobby
6. Challenge your negative thoughts
7. Educate yourself about media portrayals—a lot of the bodies you see are edited and photoshopped and comparing yourself to what is genetically impossible to attain is not fair
8. Make a list of non-physical traits you love about yourself
9. Avoid engaging in too many appearance-based conversations
10. Talk to someone about how you’re feeling 

Ok, guys. That’s all I have for now. If you read this post, your time means the world to me and you’re a doll. I’ll be back next week with some more awesome shit. Until then, behave well, dress well, and fuck shit up.