According to Wikipedia, body positivity is a social movement focused on accepting all bodies, regardless of size, shape, skin tone, gender, and physical abilities, while challenging present-day beauty standards as an undesirable social construct.
Body positivity is not just about challenging how society views people based on their physical size and shape. It also recognizes that those same judgments are often based on race, gender, sexuality, and disability.
However, depending on who you ask, body positivity can mean different things, including appreciating your body despite flaws, feeling confident about your body, loving yourself, and accepting your body's shape and size.
Research shows that a negative body image can increase the risk of mental health conditions, including depression and eating disorders.
Body image refers to a person's perception of their own body, which may differ from how it actually appears. Feelings, thoughts, and behaviors related to body image can impact your mental health and how you treat yourself.
Even though the body positivity movement is intended to make people feel better about themselves, it isn't without critics. One problem is that body positivity implies that people should do whatever they think they need to do to feel positive about how they look. This can, in turn, lead to excessive exercise and extreme dieting. The extreme opposite of this view is accepting your body as is (a good thing), regardless of size (another good thing), without consideration of health conditions that can result from being either under or overweight.
Obesity is linked to diabetes and heart disease, and many advocates of the body positivity movement often criticize this research. Being "skinny" does not automatically promote overall good health. Being too underweight can come with other medical complications such as osteoporosis and hormonal imbalances.
Body neutrality is another movement that is gaining momentum. Body neutrality is different from body positivity. The focus is not on what your body looks like but on what it can do.
Body positivity and body neutrality can be practiced simultaneously. One day you may love how your derriere looks in your favorite jeans; the next, you may love that your strong glutes help you climb six flights of stairs when the elevator is out of order.
To summarize, you can equally love your body for its appearance, regardless of the shape or size, while appreciating all the amazing things that your body can do.
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