Body Neutrality vs. Body Positivity: Embracing a Healthier Relationship with Your Body
In recent years, the movement of body positivity has gained significant traction, championing self-love and acceptance of all body types. But there’s another concept gaining attention: body neutrality. While both approaches aim to foster a healthier relationship with our bodies, they do so in different ways. Understanding the distinctions between body positivity and body neutrality is key to navigating your personal journey toward a better self-image.
What is Body Positivity?
Body positivity is a movement that promotes self-love, confidence, and acceptance of all bodies, regardless of shape, size, or appearance. The core idea behind body positivity is to challenge societal standards of beauty and encourage individuals to embrace and celebrate their bodies as they are. This movement has been transformative for many people, especially those who have been marginalized or shamed because of their body size, color, or features.
However, while body positivity has done a lot of good, it’s not always easy to apply for everyone. Some people may find it difficult to feel genuinely “positive” about their bodies every day, particularly if they’re struggling with body image issues, health conditions, or societal pressures. For some, it may feel unattainable or unrealistic to consistently maintain an optimistic outlook on their physical appearance. This is where body neutrality comes in.
What is Body Neutrality?
Body neutrality, on the other hand, encourages a more neutral and balanced approach to body image. Instead of focusing on loving or celebrating your body, it promotes detachment from the idea that your worth is tied to your appearance. Body neutrality suggests that we don’t need to feel positive or negative about our bodies; we can simply acknowledge and care for them without attaching judgment or expectation.
Rather than pushing for an idealized or exaggerated view of body love, body neutrality focuses on respecting the body for what it does rather than how it looks. For instance, you might not always love how your body looks in the mirror, but you can recognize its functionality: it allows you to walk, breathe, and interact with the world. Body neutrality is rooted in understanding that our bodies are tools to experience life, not just objects to be admired or judged based on external standards.
The Key Differences Between Body Neutrality and Body Positivity
It’s important to look at what makes body neutrality and body positivity different from one another. These distinctions include:
Focus on Emotions
Body Positivity: Encourages positive feelings toward your body and celebrates physical diversity and inclusivity.
Body Neutrality: Avoids the emphasis on emotions, urging you to acknowledge your body without attaching positive or negative feelings to it.
Goal Setting
Body Positivity: The goal is to love your body no matter what, accepting and appreciating it, flaws and all.
Body Neutrality: The goal is to be at peace with your body without making it the center of your self-worth. The focus is on non-judgmental acceptance.
Impact on Mental Health
Body Positivity: Can be empowering for some, but for others, it may feel unrealistic or even pressure-filled, particularly when body image struggles are deep-seated.
Body Neutrality: Acknowledges the complexities of body image issues and offers a less emotionally intense alternative, which may be easier for people who struggle with chronic dissatisfaction.
Acceptance vs. Acknowledgment
Body Positivity: Encourages full acceptance and love for one’s body, promoting feelings of pride.
Body Neutrality: Focuses on neutrality—simply acknowledging your body as it is and respecting it for its functionality, not its appearance.
How to Embrace Body Neutrality in Daily Life
If you’re interested in practicing body neutrality, it’s important to reframe your thoughts and approach. Here are some practical ways to achieve body neutrality:
Shift the Focus from Appearance to Functionality
Instead of evaluating your body based on how it looks, try to focus on what it does. Remind yourself of all the amazing functions your body performs every day, such as breathing, digesting food, and allowing you to engage with the world around you. For example, when you’re feeling self-conscious about your body, try to think about how your legs carry you from place to place, or how your hands enable you to express yourself.
Stop Body Checking
Many of us are guilty of constant “body checking”—looking at ourselves in the mirror multiple times a day, comparing our reflections, or pinching parts of our bodies to see if they’ve changed. These behaviors can fuel negative self-talk and reinforce the idea that our bodies should be constantly scrutinized. To practice body neutrality, make an effort to reduce body checking. Only check in with your body when it’s necessary (e.g., getting dressed or taking care of yourself). Over time, this habit can help break the cycle of focusing too much on physical appearance.
Avoid Negative Self-Talk
We all have moments where we say things like, “I hate my stomach” or “I feel gross today.” These negative statements often deepen feelings of shame or dissatisfaction with our bodies. Instead of making critical comments about yourself, try neutral statements, such as, “This is my body, and it’s doing its job.” Over time, this can help remove judgment and foster a healthier internal dialogue.
Engage in Movement for Enjoyment, Not Aesthetics
Exercise can often be tied to the goal of changing our appearance. Instead of focusing on how exercise will make your body look, try to engage in physical activity that you enjoy for the sake of how it feels. Whether it’s walking, dancing, or swimming, movement should be about how it makes you feel physically and emotionally, rather than an attempt to "reshape" your body.
Challenge Media and Social Media Standards
Social media is a major contributor to unrealistic body standards. Practice body neutrality by unfollowing accounts that make you feel bad about your body and following those that promote a more diverse and inclusive range of body types. Recognize that much of what you see online is curated, filtered, and edited, and it’s not an accurate reflection of reality.
Practice Gratitude for Your Body
Rather than praising your body for its appearance, practice gratitude for its functionality. Be thankful for the ability to walk, to see, to hear, and to experience the world. Keeping a journal where you list things you’re thankful for about your body can help you focus on its strengths rather than its aesthetic appearance.
In conclusion, while body positivity has been a powerful movement for many, body neutrality offers a more accessible and less emotionally demanding alternative for those who struggle to feel positive about their appearance. By shifting the focus from how our bodies look to how they function, we can cultivate a healthier, more peaceful relationship with our bodies.
Whether you lean toward body positivity or body neutrality, the key is to find an approach that allows you to live your life free from the pressure of unrealistic beauty standards. Embrace your body for what it does—because, at the end of the day, it’s the vessel that allows you to experience the world.
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Written by Allison Cooke, Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor and MSW Student