Body Positive: How To Increase Acceptance Of The Body

There are certain social and cultural canons that dictate what kinds of bodies are beautiful, valid, and desirable and which ones are unacceptable or worthy of censure. The fashion industry and the media bombard us with messages that make us perceive parts of our anatomy as faulty, affecting the relationship we have with ourselves. Faced with this reality, the body positive arises as a means to enhance the acceptance of the body.

This movement, which already has several decades of history, has gained momentum in recent years, appealing to the need to normalize the diversity of physicists. However, there are several myths and multiple detractors of this proposal; For this reason, it is necessary to clarify some issues and emphasize the benefits that an improvement in self-perception can bring on a psychological level.

What is and what is not the body positive?

If you have heard this term before, you may have encountered some misinformation and misinterpretations. For this reason, we want to begin by clarifying what this stream of positive bodies consists of and what it does not consist of.

An exclusive movement for overweight people

There are those who associate the body positive with overweight and obesity, assuming that this is the only group that the concept represents. The reality is that the proposal encourages us to make visible, normalize and accept all types of bodies, physiques and complexions.

It is true that those with a high body mass index (BMI) often suffer stigma and rejection by society, but they are not the only ones.

Who has not looked in the mirror and hated their pimples, their stretch marks, their excessively thin legs or their overly bushy eyebrows? From puberty (or even before), we learn to be ashamed of certain parts of our anatomy, to hide or disguise them. Therefore, the body positive is for everyone, since there is no perfect human being.

A way to promote poor health

Some people claim that the body positive promotes obesity or a lack of self-care. However, recognizing that there are imperfect people (we all are) does not promote a lack of physical health but rather tries to protect mental health.

Of course you can take care of your diet or apply an acne treatment, but you also have to remember that your body is equally valid even with those supposed defects. The objective is that no person is psychologically crushed because their appearance does not correspond to the ideal.

An obligation to always feel good

It is important to emphasize that the body positive does not imply that the person has to feel happy and satisfied with their physique every second. We all have days when we look our best and times when we dislike our mirror image.

However, accepting ourselves in our imperfection will help us prevent harmful self-talk and harmful behavior.

The psychological benefits of body positive

As you may have already guessed, the body positive can have significant positive repercussions on a psychological level. First of all, it helps preserve the self-esteem of the people most vulnerable to criticism.

Both those who (due to their physical appearance) are further away from the established canons, and those who (due to their insecurity) can be greatly damaged by certain types of comments.

Low self-esteem not only causes psychological discomfort, it can also lead to anxiety and depression problems and greatly limit social relationships and professional success. For this reason, the acceptance of one’s own body generates an important positive impact on the individual at a global level.

In addition, this movement can help prevent the appearance of eating disorders. And it is that these arise, to a great extent, by social pressure and the need to adapt to an unattainable perfection.

Apply body positive with yourself and with others

Applying body positive means stopping criticizing ourselves, hiding ourselves and being ashamed of who we are. But it also means offering others this same right.

Thus, it is important that we stop judging the bodies of others, stop criticizing the style of dress that other people choose and address each other with respect and empathy.