Body Positivity VS Body Neutrality 

Today we live in a world where our appearances dictate our self-worth, which is why, the way we perceive ourselves has a great impact on our self-worth as well as our mental health. Our bodies are constantly under surveillance and subjected to the gaze of others which influences how we perceive ourselves and dictate our self-worth. But assume you were never subjected to the external gaze? how would you then perceive yourself and your body? Jean-Paul Sartre explores this concept in the play No Exit, in which his character, Estelle, is deprived of mirrors and has to rely on another character, Garcin, to understand what she looks like. She makes decisions about her appearance and self-esteem depending on what he says. Sartre’s play is a pertinent example of how the external gaze can influence how we perceive ourselves. Movements like body positivity and body neutrality emerge as a counterbalance to this external gaze. 

Body Positivity 

Body positivity, which stands for the idea that all bodies are good bodies, has its roots in black and queer activism. This movement emerged in response to the underrepresentation of diverse bodies in visual culture, which mainly featured white, cisgender, and thin individuals. Over the decades body positive movements have gained popularity over the internet. About 4 million posts use the hashtag #bodypositivity, and about 11 million posts use the hashtag #bodypositive (Cohen et al., 2020). 

Body positive moment is an amalgamation of 5 tenets. First, is a connection to the fat acceptance movement (FAM). FAM criticised the anti-fat discourse and discrimination. These activists challenged the medical assumption that being fat is associated with ill health and also celebrated body diversity. Second, an opposition to diet culture.

This was characterised by the opposition to the multi-dollar companies such as the diet pill and weight loss programs industries and also a criticism was the socio-cultural environment which normalised fatphobia. The third tenet of this movement is the belief that all bodies are good bodies. Body positivity seeks to eliminate the association between thinness and being “good” or “worthy.” Body positivity is also considered synonymous with self-love, which is its fourth pillar. And the final tenet is proclaiming that all people have the freedom to be beautiful. The last tenet challenges the idea that beauty can be found in one form only and argues that all bodies are beautiful (Streeter, 2019). 

Lately, however, this movement has received a lot of criticism. It has been criticised for not being as inclusive as it claims to be. It has been condemned for putting too much pressure on people to love their bodies unconditionally, and if they don’t, it makes them feel even worse. This kind of toxic self-love often results in experiencing negative emotions such as feelings of shame and inadequacy.

The second criticism is that it is still hyper-fixated on appearance and body image despite its message about body positivity (Cohen et al., 2020). The beauty industry and many corporations have embodied this movement. Companies use body positivity as a means to sell their products which still focus on the beauty standards that are unattainable and often cater to skinny to medium-sized bodies. 

Body Neutrality 

Many critics of body positivity embrace and advocate for body neutrality. Body neutrality shifts its focus from body appearances towards its functionality. Rather than labelling one’s body parts or appearances as good or bad, ugly or beautiful, it simply aims to embrace one’s body for the function it performs. Body neutrality means that you don’t view your stomach as ugly or beautiful but rather as an organ that helps you digest your food. In this way, your self-worth is not dependent on your appearance (Pellizzer & Wade, 2023). 

Body neutrality sounds good at its face value. But we need to approach it more critically. Is body neutrality practical and attainable? Can we simply ignore how our body looks even when we are constantly being reminded of it and how can body neutrality help us to deal with the societal pressure to conform to certain beauty standards? 

One of the criticisms of body neutrality is that it completely degrades our emotions related to our body and our body image, which can be potentially harmful. Ignoring the feelings about one’s body can hinder the process of self-awareness and can be alienating as it hinders developing a relationship with yourself. Body neutrality may have failed to address the root cause of many body image problems and eating disorders. It might inhibit any positive emotions about one’s body and people may merely tolerate their bodies rather than loving it and celebrating it. 

Our body indeed serves various crucial functions, however, the overemphasis on these functions may not be very healthy for us. Various researches demonstrated that there is a correlation between body image and mental health (Gillen & Markey, 2015; O’Dea, 2012). Feeling good about oneself and our bodies can improve our self-confidence and social interactions.

Apart from that the overemphasis on functionality may undermine one’s style and expressions, which provides us with a sense of individuality and uniqueness. Lastly, feeling neutral about one’s body may reduce motivation for self-care activities such as eating healthily and exercising which are very crucial for overall health and well-being. 

So now the question is, what should you do? Should you embrace body positivity or body neutrality? The answer is not as simple, there is no one size fits all. Everyone’s journey is unique when approaching things such as body image. For some people body positivity acts as a powerful tool for self-love and it encourages them to celebrate their bodies and develop a positive relationship with themselves.

But for some, body neutrality resonates more with them, specifically if they feel overwhelmed by the pressure to always love their bodies. And it can also be helpful for people struggling with chronic illnesses or disabilities, where the focus on functionality aligns more closely with their daily experiences. (word count 988)