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Positivity vs. Neutrality in the Body
Body positivity is defined as having a good attitude about your physical body, regardless of its shape, size, or other appearance-related characteristics. It entails accepting your body for what it is, even if it isn’t “ideal” by societal standards.
Body neutrality differs from body positivity in that it does not need you to always love your body, but rather to tolerate it. Furthermore, rather than focusing on your physical appearance, body neutrality focuses on the body’s abilities and non-physical features.
Important takeaways
A poor body image is common, and it can have an impact on both your emotional and physical health.
Body neutrality entails accepting your body as it is and not reacting emotionally to it in any way, positive or negative.
People in recovery from an eating disorder or with a negative body image may benefit from a body-neutral mindset.
Body image refers to how you think and feel about your body, and it can have an impact on both your mental and physical health. People who have a negative body image may be more prone to eating disorders, depression, or low self-esteem. A negative body image is rather frequent. Over one-third of adults have felt anxious or unhappy about their body image at some point in their lives. Adopting a body neutrality approach may assist if you have a poor body image. Body neutrality emphasizes accepting your body for what it is rather than what it looks like. This approach differs from body positivity, which encourages you to appreciate your body regardless of its flaws.
What exactly is body neutrality?
Body neutrality entails accepting your body as it is and not reacting emotionally to it in any way, positive or negative. This movement, which promotes bodily awareness, has gained popularity in the previous five years.
Body neutrality prioritizes what your body can do over how it appears. It emphasizes things like your lungs’ ability to breathe or your arms’ ability to hug someone you care about. Body neutrality can also free up time and energy for you to concentrate on other areas of your identity, such as your creativity or sense of humor.
Mindfulness is also promoted through body neutrality. Mindfulness offers numerous advantages, including stress reduction. This approach can assist you in focusing on what you appreciate.
What Is the Main Distinction Between Body Positivity and Body Neutrality?
According to Paula Atkinson, LCSW, a therapist based in Washington, DC who specializes in eating disorders, one fundamental distinction between body positivity and body neutrality is the focus placed on looks.
The body-positive approach asserts that you are lovely regardless of your physical appearance. According to the body-neutral approach, it doesn’t matter whether you think your body is beautiful or unattractive because how you look has no bearing on your value, pleasure, and fulfillment in life.
Which Is Better for Your Body: Body Positivity or Body Neutrality?
It is up to you to decide whether body positivity or body neutrality is a healthier attitude to embrace.
Body positivity is a positive approach to body image If you believe that learning to love your body is feasible. If you live in a body that has been marginalized by society due to being fat, disabled, or for any other reason, Osborn thinks that practicing body positivity may be a political statement and a way of demanding visibility and respect from society.
The beginnings of the body positivity movement
“Body positivity, in a broader sense, is a social movement that advocates for the acceptance of all bodies, regardless of size, shape, skin tone, gender, or physical limitations,” explains Dr. Albers. She goes on to say that this movement questions unattainable beauty standards and goals. “The core principle is that beauty is manufactured by society and should not be used to judge someone’s self-worth or value.”
Many people believe that the fat rights movement of the 1960s paved the door for body positivity. Bill Fabrey contacted the author of “More People Should Be FAT!” after reading an article about anti-fatness and diet culture in the United States. Not everyone can be positive about (every element of) their body, which has led to criticism of the body positivity movement. Other than being positive, body positivity does not discuss how to deal with negative sentiments about one’s body. Indeed, failing to be positive about one’s body has become frowned upon. As a result, this has become a new source of annoyance. This dissatisfaction has given rise to a new movement known as “body neutrality.” It also covers the moral side of physical appearance: rather than attempting to be positive about one’s body, body neutrality teaches people to accept their bodies as they are and have a more neutral attitude toward them. The body neutrality movement attempts to abolish the focus on physical appearance entirely by putting little or no emphasis on beauty or aesthetics.
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