Body Positivity: Is It One Size Fits All?
It’s almost impossible to scroll through any social media platform without coming across the hashtag ‘Body Positivity’. People of all genders, race and sexuality are incorporating this positive mindset and embracing their bodies, flaws and all. However, there’s more to the hashtag than what the bikini pics portray: Body Positivity is a movement and it’s not quite one size fits all.
The Body Positivity movement dates back to the 1960s with activists protesting against the discrimination and marginalisation of fat people and the stigma of being overweight, especially in the workplace. Even when typing that last sentence, I had to stop myself to consider if ‘fat’ was an appropriate word to use; society has been conditioned to associate ‘fat’ with negativity, so if that isn’t reason alone for the importance of the movement, I don’t know what is. Lew Louderback was one of the inspirations for the rise of Body Positivity as he drew attention to struggles that overweight people would face which included losing out on occupational roles to their thinner, more socially acceptable, peers.
My experience of the Body Positivity movement has changed quite a way from its origins; instead of fat and marginalised people, I see thin, able bodied, cis, white women showing off their toned legs and curves with the famous #BodyPositivity. I am in no way suggesting that these people don’t deserve to love their bodies – we all do. However, I would have had no idea about the origins of the movement and who it was really aimed at from these pictures alone.
This then opens up a debate, can we, and should we all be body positive? Whilst I believe that every single one of us deserves to love and accept our bodies, I also think that room should be made for the voices of those who exist in fat and marginalised bodies. Everybody has their insecurities and it’s amazing that we’re moving towards showing them off rather than hiding behind filters but #BodyPositivity should be left to those who need it most; those who are accused of promoting obesity for just existing; those who can’t walk into any store and be confident that their size will be on the rails; those who are dismissed from medical help and told to ‘just lose weight’ when weight may not be the issue at all. Those people should have ownership of the Body Positivity tag.
I often come across the argument that ‘skinny shaming is just as bad’ and while we all have different experiences, I have been through my fair share of skinny shaming but I receive a lot more comments around the lines of ‘I wish my body was like yours’ than ‘you look like you need to eat a burger’. Even when these comments have backhanded negativity, I’d be lying if I said that they didn’t give me a wave of confidence; validation that I’m what some others desire to be. I’ve also experienced positive repercussions from living in a thin body; I’ve had coffee shops offer me free cake, school teachers giving me snacks on the sly paired with, ‘a little bit won’t hurt, you look like it would do you good’. Of course, these weren’t enjoyable moments and ideally no one would comment on another person’s body, ever. However, I’ve always been taken seriously when visiting the GP and I’ve never lost out on opportunities because of my weight.
Another statement that is often directed at fat people is, ‘you’re promoting obesity’. I’ve seen this sentence far too many times and it’s used when people are just posting a photo of them having fun, living their lives; the sort of photos that thinner people receive praise for. Obesity is a dangerous health issue, but keyboard warriors have no right to be giving unsolicited medical advice to those that they know very little about. The same treatment isn’t given to those who are underweight; I’ve been told many times how ‘great and glowing’ I looked when in reality I was eating next to nothing and struggling to get up the stairs, my nails were breaking off, my hair falling out and still I was receiving praise for my appearance. Nobody should just assume someone’s health based on how they look, take Lizzo for example: always receiving criticism and hate about her bodyweight, yet she has the stamina to perform live on stage for hours; singing, dancing and having fun – that’s more than I could do.
Every single one of us deserves to be positive about their bodies, and our health is personal business that doesn’t need to be attacked by strangers. The Body Positivity movement, however, needs to go back in the direction of its origins and not be taken over by those who don’t face the same struggles. Self-love and body acceptance is for everyone, but Body Positivity is not one size fits all.
Written by Leah Neve
I’m an English Literature and Creative Writing student with a great love for music, fashion and bringing awareness for mental health. I want to travel once I’m finished university as I am open to learning about different cultures and would also love to have my own blog about my experiences!