Everyone has a relationship with their body, maybe a relatively good one or maybe it’s a work in progress. This whole variegated relationship causes many concerns, social stigma, and differences in perception. This article will be an analysis of both Body Positivity and Body Neutrality.
What is Body Positivity and where did it originate?
Body Positivity is a movement that initiates the notion of acceptance and appreciation to all body types regardless of social ideals.
It originated in 1969 due to engineer Bill Fabrey who was annoyed with society’s perception of his plus-sized wife, Joyce. He, later on, founded the National Association to Aid Fat Americans (currently known as the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance or NAAFA). (BBC Bitesize)
Simultaneously, Californian feminists were also frustrated with the treatment of fat people. They had a new radical opinion which they encapsulated as “fat liberation” which differed from NAAFA’s moderate notion of “fat acceptance”. These feminists demanded rights and denounced diet culture.
Though ultimately, conventional fat advocacy often sidelined people of colour and believed that other communities didn’t require this advocacy due to their accepting nature.
Internet acquiring Body Positivity
Body positivity movement spread online through social media and was often hash-tagged as #BoPo. Many people have spoken out for the cause of Body Positivity, like Sonya Renee Taylor, who wrote the book “The Body Is Not An Apology”. And others such as Megan Jayne Crabbe, Nyome Nicholas-Williams, and Michelle Elman assert body positivity on social media.
Advantages of Body Positivity
- Has good intentions of ending orthodox perceptions on different body types.
It majorly focuses on breaking ideals and bringing in the inclusivity of different body types and fat liberation. The movement constantly tries to normalise different body types and often unlooked aspects of the human body like stretch marks and textured skin. It removes the stigma associated with different body types.
- Encourages inclusivity and widens horizons for the beauty industry.
Brands like Nike and Adidas have introduced clothing for plus-sized people. This gives people more representation and sets inclusivity as normative. While luxury brands like Dolce & Gabbana and Donatella Versace are branching out to plus-size models and broadening their collections.
- People embracing who they are leads to self-satisfaction.
Many people practising body positivity can become more accepting of themselves and others. Which can cause self-satisfaction and allow people to not dwell on idealistic standards that can create peace of mind. Peace of mind allows one to be happy with who one is.
- May increase self-esteem
Affirming and remaining positive can do wonders for someone’s self-esteem as they are satisfied with themselves and their bodies. After all, BoPo is a movement that tells everyone to love themselves.
Disadvantages of Body Positivity
- BoPo is considered to be vanity driven.
Body Positivity is appearance-centric. The movement can cause many people to lose track of themselves and become slaves of their appearance and overdoing things like fitness or dieting all in the ‘need’ to love themselves.
- BoPo can give many companies opportunities to profit due to the height of the movement.
Some companies use BoPo as a means to profit off of the public and slowly dilute the essence of the whole movement to chase profits. These companies often end up using the movement or get cancelled due to their rigidness. An example of this is Louise Thompson, a reality television personality who wrote a book called “Body Positive”. The main purpose of the book according to the publisher is to uncover how to “build a strong body through fitness and eating well. S.E. Smith, a writer, states that after everyone “appropriating the movement” the movement became “hopelessly diluted and unclear”.
- Often argued as countenancing alterable aspects like weight and obesity.
If a person is considered clinically obese, instead of helping them lose weight to delay the onset of related conditions and problems, it may be promoting unhealthy habits and inspiration. We have to be responsible for our bodies, but this can be seen as creating excuses for unhealthiness.
- Often criticised as being toxically positive.
No one can love their body all the time, it’s impossible. Constantly pressing the notion of body love can cause immense guilt when not doing so. It puts immense pressure on people by chalking out an idealistic state which is contrary to the cause of the movement which is to break ideals.
What is Body Neutrality and where did it originate?
Body Neutrality is considered as a philosophy (Moniuszko) which also focuses on acceptance but through what the body can achieve and intangible aspects of it. It was initiated after the Body Positivity movement was gaining censure by bloggers and celebrities.
Internet acquiring Body Neutrality
Jameela Jamil, an English writer, actress and activist also stands with the movement. She states, “I’m not trying to spread body positivity. I’m trying to spread body neutrality where I can sit here and not think about what my body is looking like. “We have made incredible progress. We’ve made incredible strides”. Furthermore, even Mary Victor (Seah), a makeup artist writes, “Listening to ourselves even on a bad day might help us heal a lot more. That’s body neutrality – it focuses on appreciating what amazing things your body does for you and teaches you to accept the changes your body goes through.”
Advantages of Body Neutrality
- Body Neutrality doesn’t focus on tangible aspects of the body rather the purpose of the body as a functional unit.
This means that you are not under pressure to like or hate your body, you appreciate it for the things it can do. For example, you accept your legs because they help you walk. This leads to less judgement on yourself which can be extended towards others as well.
- Improves Mood & Reduces Anxiety
This is because there will be less judgement and less stressing/obsessing over the body which will create a deeper bond with yourself. This can also in turn reduce anxiety, as this method doesn’t hammer in any kind of thoughts about the body itself rather identifies the purpose of the body.
- Promotes mindfulness
This can promote mindfulness due to the shifted mindset on how the body is viewed. It creates peace within without forcing people to always love their bodies.
Disadvantages of Body Neutrality
- Body Neutrality is criticised for being a theory rather than a practicable aspect.
A criticism of Body Neutrality is given by Stephanie Yeboah, who is a self-love advocate who states, “Body neutrality could work in theory, but it is an ideology that’ll never work in real life, as long as fatphobia exists.” This means that if innate discrimination, social inhibitions and stereotypes don’t go away, people will be unable to practice the essence of body neutrality. (Greenwood and Bambridge-Sutton)
- It is not centred around “fat liberation”
The sole root of the Body Positivity movement was to “liberate” fat people. It was to give them equality and create a stance for them. Body neutrality is not centred around that cause.
- Body Neutrality doesn’t help embrace bodily imperfections.
No one is perfect, the whole thing about the BoPo movement was to highlight that notion.
Body Neutrality doesn’t address the imperfections of the body as it doesn’t focus on appearance. This can result in it becoming taboo instead of something widely related to and normalised.
- Body Neutrality can be considered a “healing practise” rather than something that can curb prejudice (Friend).
As Body Neutrality is closely tied to mindfulness, it cannot help reduce prejudice against fat people. This is because it is too individualistic to become a radical movement to spur change like the body positivity movement.
Final Verdict
These two notions can work in confluence, body neutrality can be used for intrinsic healing and making amends, while body positivity shed light on prejudice against people who don’t fit media’s idealistic beauty and body standards. Body Positivity can raise self-esteem and bring normalisation to imperfections whereas body neutrality highlights the ability of the body.
The Body Positivity Revolution Will Not Be Commodified
Retail’s Role in Body Positivity
Inclusivity and Retail: The Importance of Retailers Truly Understanding the Body Positivity Movement
How to Shift from ‘Body Positivity’ to ‘Body Neutrality’ — and Why You Should
How to Practice Body Neutrality
10 Ways to Practice Body Positivity
10 STEPS TO POSITIVE BODY IMAGE
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