Instagram is literally flooded with 10 million hashtags, and pictures captioned “Body Positive.” From models to Hollywood celebs, all have participated actively in promoting a positive body image. But what is the actual meaning of embracing body positivity?
The terms inclusion and body positivity have recently become buzzwords since everybody is talking about them. There’s constant pressure to change the conservative perception of an ideal body type.
The common fact is an average woman could never be one of the sleek models walking on the ramp. However, that doesn’t make us any less unique.
In today’s article, I will be talking about body positivity and how to embrace our own body type. So, let’s get started.
What Are Some Common Barriers To Body Acceptance?
In a world where everything seems so “perfect,” having an imperfect body makes us anxious. But what’s the definition of an ideal body, or is there anything else? The honest answer is no. Here are a few barriers that stop us from accepting our unique body type:
Body Dysmorphia
BDD, or body dysmorphic disorder, is basically a mental health condition where a person is too concerned about their appearance and the flaws in it. While these flaws are barely noticeable by others, people with BDD might make it a big deal.
Body dysmorphia is one of the biggest reasons why a person cannot feel conventionally attractive. They always have a feeling of being less desirable, and they keep overthinking about the small flaws.
The “Media” Effect
Can we blame the entire thing on society or the people around us? Media has a bigger role to play when feeding our minds with a particular body perception.
Regular exposure to the image of an unrealistic body on social media and everywhere else creates an expectation within an individual. It has also put us into the habit of using photoshopped images on social media, thus lowering our self-esteem.
Venomous Beauty Ideologies
Beauty is a concept that humans have constructed for humans. This psychological pleasure is temporary, but it can be proven permanently venomous for somebody else.
Media bodies have a huge impact on the concept of beauty, which is later passed on to the general public. From fashion sectors to diet companies, all have participated actively in tarnishing body-positive images.
Fatphobia
Beauty industries were once the epitome of health, beauty, and power. Sadly, it has now degraded to a point where it enforces a fatphobic community. Log into Instagram, and you’ll discover so many people intolerant towards fat individuals.
It is indeed difficult yet satisfactory to live a life without the judgment of being fat. Embracing body positivity has no connection with promoting obesity but simply accepting what we are.
How Far Have We Come Along With Body Positivity?
Honestly, the body-positive revolution has a long way to go, and the reasons are varied. It takes so much time to build our personalities and to wait for somebody to thrash it in one go- we don’t deserve that!
Just like finding a voice in a crowd is difficult, embracing our bodies is also complex. However, there’s a very slow shift when it comes to beauty representation in the advertising industry.
There has been the inclusion of actors and models belonging to different skin colors or body types. While they might not be “ideally” beautiful, they have certainly broken some world records. So, the geist is personality>body type.
Body positivity is generally conceptualized around three crucial aspects:
- Self-acceptance or accepting your own body as well as being at peace with it.
- Health or consistent maintenance towards positive health.
- Positivity or adopting a positive and non-comparative outlook for your body.
Studying The Body Positivity Movement A Bit
While we get deeper into the topic, let’s take a look at the Body Positive Movement. It all began in 1969 with the onset of the National Association of Advance Fat Acceptable, which strived to embrace body positivity.
The term “body positive” first came into existence in 1996 when a psychotherapist created thebodypositive.org website. However, the movement got real fame in 2012 when people started debunking unrealistic and toxic beauty standards.
This was a turning point for the movement because the focus was no longer on just weight acceptance but on accepting all kinds of bodies. This is exactly when the world started embracing body positivity. Let’s check out some highlights of the movement:
- It impacted the fashion industry to sabotage the negative images of an ideal body figure. Brands like Chi Chi London, ASOS Curve, and Mango started working on plus-size fashion and inclusive clothing.
- Precious Lee, Tara Lynn, and Winnie Harlow were some of the initial plus-sized models that added diversity to the industry. In fact, singers like Nikki Minaj and Doja Cat were no exception in being vocal about body positivity.
- An American Psychological Association research points out how body dissatisfaction is on the verge of declining. There are studies explaining women’s dissatisfaction more than men when it comes to embracing their own body type.
How Can Embracing Body Diversity And Size Inclusivity Improve Mental Health?
The world we thrive in is too overwhelming at times. It focuses much more on physical appearance, which is why it is necessary to cultivate a great relationship with our own skin. Nurturing and embracing body positivity is one of the foremost steps towards positive mental health:
It’s time to challenge negative thoughts…
You must start challenging pessimistic thoughts when you want to build a close and positive bond with your body. It’s time to tarnish the societal standards of beauty and believe that we are unique and beautiful.
Take some time and identify the simplest negative thoughts in your mind. Address them and keep reminding yourself of how hard you’ve worked to come this far. Beauty is not always about the perfect face or flawless body!
Champion self-compassion…
In a world full of self-love, self-compassion plays a critical role. Unless you treat yourself with kindness, nobody else will. So, stop criticizing your flaws and start embracing them, even your curves.
Try engaging in activities that boost your self-confidence. Start focusing on what’s more important than just being beautiful. After all, life isn’t a bed of roses where you can be a princess without any worries.
Surrounding with positivity helps…
Good company goes a long way. Start surrounding yourself with people who have a broad perspective and optimistic thought process. There are tons of individuals around us who embrace body positivity and believe in society’s upliftment.
Seek help from a friend or keep in touch with colleagues who make you feel good. If you are much of a social bee, join groups and online communities that talk about body positivity. Trust me, things will get a lot easier.
Shift your focus towards health…
Instead of focusing on your outer beauty, start embracing your own health. Keep a tab on what you intake. Always keep in mind that the human body is a vessel that paves the way for a longer and healthier life.
Focusing on the optimistic aspects that you can take care of is way more important than something you cannot change. So, start making an effort to achieve this.
Does Building Self-Worth Contribute To A Healthy Relationship With Your Body?
Self-value and self-worth are interrelated terms we often come across daily. A high sense of self-worth indicates that you love your body in its most natural form. But where does that feeling come from?
It arrives when you think positively about your own skin. High self-esteem is not only associated with better mental health but also improves the overall quality of life. Some advantages of self-worth include:
- Makes you more social: One of the greatest perks of being body-positive is that you learn to engage more with others. Building social networks is a healthy sign that your body is moving towards acceptance.
- Boosted performance: Secondly, when you think good about yourself, it comes with a reward of enhanced performance. There are higher chances of working positively with others, and you are less likely to feel demotivated about your job.
- Physical health: Self-worth is also directly linked to great physical health. It is often a translation of supportive and strong social networks. When you think good, you eat good, and ultimately, you remain fit.
Concluding Words
The concept of embracing body positivity has come far to the point that people are talking about it freely. There’s no shying away from accepting that one might not have an ideal body type. Living freely is the key to going far!
Loving your body has different definitions, but what remains on top is embracing it in every form. It doesn’t matter whether you are a new mother full of stretch marks on the body or you have a sleek figure; you are gorgeous!
With that, here comes an end to this guide. Thank you for reading till the end. I hope you enjoyed reading this.
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