Body Positivity – the phrase has gained some serious steam over the past decade, but what does it really mean?

Let’s analyze this term a bit to better understand what Pear is here for and what we hope to promote to our readership.

The Body Positive movement advocates the acceptance of all bodies no matter the form, gender, size or appearance. Body Positive activists recognize that size is just one of the many ways that our bodies are judged by others. The movement includes men and women of different shapes and sizes, ethnicities, sexual orientations, and abilities. By doing so, the movement is making an effort to shift public perceptions away from the traditional ideal of beauty and into a more accepting atmosphere.

The idea surrounding the movement is centered around the notion that people need to love themselves to the fullest while accepting their physical traits. Unlike the ‘fat acceptance movement’; Body Positivity is all-encompassing and inclusive of all body types. This movement states that neither fat-shaming nor skinny-shaming is acceptable and that all body types can and should be celebrated.

Although the Body Positivity movement is a popular one it also comes with the criticism of normalizing obesity.

One very important thing to remember is that Body Positivity is not body image; it is more of a social justice movement that offers compassionate yet realistic views on living a healthy life while loving yourself at the same time. Whereas, body image describes our perceptions and attitudes towards our physical appearance which changes over time and is greatly affected by our experiences and thoughts. Body dissatisfaction can often develop due to a negative body image that can be developed from these life experiences, the culture we live in, teasing, or personality type and belief about what bodies should look like. Studies have shown that if you hate yourself or have a negative self-image/body dissatisfaction complex you’re not going to take care of yourself and hate yourself even more for it.

The Body Positivity movement aims to reduce many forms of stigma directed against people of all sizes, with a large amount of overall health and well being objective. It is the idea that you can live comfortably in your body, as it is right now, or work on treating it right through nourishment, joyful movement, and self-care without punishing yourself for looking the way you do. Additionally, it’s the understanding that your worth and what’s going on with you physically are two separate entities – no matter what’s happening inside, outside or to your body, you’re still just as worthwhile as the person next to you.

With that said, Body Positivity also means accepting the body you have as well as the changes in shape, size, and ability it may undergo due to nature, age or your own personal choices throughout your lifetime. To do this you must assume responsibility for figuring out what your body needs by focusing on its overall health, weight, food intake and exercise. Adopting this behavior leads to better physical and/or mental health so that you can sustain over the long term.

Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with wanting to look ‘good’, just make sure it’s your own version of ‘good’ and not someone else’s. In today’s social image-obsessed culture all you can do is try to be kind to yourself and always stand up for others who are being treated unfairly because of social attitudes towards their bodies.

In short, the Body Positivity movement simply means accepting your body with all its curves, rolls, lumps and bumps. Both men and women deserve to live in a whole where they are shown respect and don’t feel constantly torn down by society.

Don’t you agree?