My guess is, that for most people reading this, body positivity isn’t for you. I mean, it’s definitely the buzz word of the minute! People everywhere are posting selfies and flaunting a new found confidence. All the while, they’re hashtagging it #bodyposi, #bopo and #bodypositivity. Brands are developing ‘body positivity’ campaigns and spreading ‘body positive’ messages across their social media pages.
But there’s a problem. A big problem.
Nine times out of ten, people flinging the words ‘body positive’ around are not actually supposed to be a part of the body positivity movement. Yup, really. The body positivity movement is not for everyone.
Let me explain why body positivity isn’t for you
Fat Black women and fat Jewish women initially founded the movement. They did this with the intention of creating a space that allowed marginalised bodies to not only exist safely, but to be represented and celebrated too! It stemmed from the fat acceptance movement, and has grown very popular in the last couple of years or so.
Body positivity is supposed to celebrate marginalised bodie. Bodies that society typically deems to be ‘ugly’ or ‘unattractive’. Basically, it isn’t for slim, white, able bodied people.
But guess who’s co-opted the movement now? That’s right! Slim, white, able bodied people.
So where does the confusion lie?
The confusion comes from misrepresentation. Too often we see slim people bending over showing their skin rolls (which everyone has), branding them fat rolls and as a result, being praised for being “brave”. People are wrongly becoming the face of a movement despite having conventionally attractive bodies, What these people should be advocating is not body positivity, but rather, body confidence and self love.
Body confidence and self love is for everyone. Everyone deserves to feel comfortable and confident in the skin they’re in. Additionally, everyone deserves to love themselves. But not everyone belongs in the body positivity movement. Not everyone needs the movement – and so my advice to you is to stop trying to exist in a space that isn’t for you.
Listen to the people who do belong in the movement
I used to call myself a “self love and body positivity advocate”. People called me a body positive “inspiration”. Radio 1 even interviewed me about body positivity! But I’ve done research since then. I’m still doing research now. By listening to the people that do belong in the movement, I have learnt that the movement is not for me. I obviously still support body positivity and those who are a part of it, but I need to step out of that space. I need to stop trying to make it work for me. It doesn’t have to, because I have a conventionally attractive body.
What I should have been talking about this whole time is body confidence, not body positivity. You can still support a movement without being part of it. But in the way white people try to “All Lives Matter” the Black Lives Matter movement, slim, able bodied people should not be co-opting the body positivity movement. Slim, able, white bodies are already widely accepted in society. You don’t need a movement to help celebrate them even more!
Some people say it better than me!
I don’t know if I’m just been rambling, or if I’m making any sense or not. Just in case, I will direct you to some great resources from people who are part of the body posi movement, and have perfectly explained why it’s not for everyone.
An article Stephanie Yeboah wrote for The Metro articulates this far better than I do: https://metro.co.uk/2019/07/01/the-body-positivity-movement-is-not-for-slim-bodies-already-accepted-by-society-10081795/
Lottie L’amour (@lottielamour) made this great IGTV video that summed it up so well, and left the floor open for discussion… check it out here!
So where does that leave us now?
Everyone deserves to feel good about themselves. Everyone deserves to feel good about their body! That’s what the body confidence and self love movement is for!
Body positivity is NOT for slim people to celebrate their bodies. Until people stop confusing body positivity and body confidence, we need to continue pushing this message. Body confidence is not the same thing as being body positive. People must learn the difference.
Taking up a space that’s not meant for you is not okay. Be confident in your body and love yourself but do it outside the realms of the body positive movement.
Love from,
Florence Grace (newly proclaimed body confidence and self love advocate)
Well written!
Thank you so much!