When you think of “body positivity”, most of us would agree that emaciated models on the catwalk are not body positive.
But other than that, body positivity is one of those terms that’s really hard to nail down.
Since it came into vogue, the term “body positivity” has taken off in a heap of different areas. It has been used to describe “fat positive” movements, “thin positive” movements and “no make-up” selfies. It can be affixed to “real women have curves” and “strong is the new skinny” slogans, and it’s equally applied to women showing rolls as well as women taking glamour shots.
So what is body positivity?
My sense is that body positivity is much larger than any of these smaller ideas. Really, when you get down to it, body positivity doesn’t really have much to do with your body. It’s more to do with your mind.
Body positivity is not about loving how you look
Surprised? But body positivity is not actually about pretending you love your looks when you don’t.
It’s more about recognising that your body is worthy – even when you don’t feel like it.
Body positivity is seeing yourself as more than a body
Your worth is not tied up in your selfies, your weight or your looks.
Too often, we’re told that our bodies are as good as how they look. Body positivity is seeing your body as more than something to look at.
Your body is an instrument, not an ornament.
Body positivity is loving your body enough to treat it well
When you’re body positive, you’re not punishing your body with starvation and exercise. Equally, you’re not abusing it with empty calories and junk food. You are taking care of it, nourishing it and doing your best to make it the healthiest it can be.
Body positivity recognises that diversity is okay
It sounds obvious, but our bodies are created differently. Even if we tried, many of us couldn’t achieve a waif-thin Victoria’s Secret model body. But I don’t need to try to be like one of those people in the magazines, because I’m not. That I don’t look like them isn’t a failing on my part. It’s just how I’ve been put together.
Why are we even trying to all look and weigh the same?
That’s the point of body positivity. You don’t need to. You just need to know that your body is good the way it is – and learn how to take care of it well.
So how do we put this into practice?
Body positivity is important because your thinking around your body is contagious.
Many of us fall into the trap of saying, “I feel fat today,” or joking about going on a diet after eating a piece of cake. Unfortunately, speaking like this about our bodies just perpetuates negative ideas about what our bodies are and how to care for them. It impacts all of us – and especially young people.
So how do we practise body positivity? Here are a few ways to train your brain to think better about your body.
Nourish your body each day
Your body is worth caring for – and that means putting good fuel in.
Nutrition plays a huge role in your physical and mental wellbeing. Read up on what you’re eating, how it impacts you and what you could eat more of. Eat widely from all the food groups.
Notice, also, everything your body can do – and appreciate that. It’s not about aesthetics. It’s that your body is pretty amazing, whatever size it is.
Don’t label foods as “good” or “bad”
You probably shouldn’t eat ice cream every day. But eat it every so often – and enjoy it when you do. There’s no need to beat yourself up or joke that you’re going to get “fat”.
It may sound corny or PC. But labelling foods “sometimes” foods – instead of “bad” foods – makes a huge difference to your perception.
Balance is important.
Exercise is not a punishment
Don’t do it because you ate something “bad”. Find something you enjoy doing, whether it’s swimming, walking, playing sport or whatever it might be – and do it regularly. Don’t exercise to work off that piece of cake. Just exercise because it’s good for you.
Be careful what media you consume
Remember that the bodies you see in photographs are posed and idealised. Remind yourself that some people are paid to work out, in a way that normal people can’t do sustainably. And don’t forget that even your friendly Instagram feed has carefully curated and posed images that can make you feel worse about yourself.
It’s not always easy to change your thinking – especially when you’ve been taught your whole life to view your body in a certain way. But it is possible to take steps to rebalance the conversation.
Christine Morgan, from the Butterfly Foundation, put it this way:
Sometimes the hardest thing is to give up doing something, but the way to overcome it is to introduce something new. It’s not about having to completely ditch being concerned about appearance but balancing it out with an understanding of how fantastic your body really is, and what it enables you to do.
Focus on your body for what it is. See its goodness. And you’ll help other people do the same thing.
