Body positivity is probably a phrase that many of us hadnβt heard of until a few years ago, but which is now a welcome part to our lives. Our concept of body positivity has changed over the last few years, from something that a few niche groups encouraged, to something that acknowledges the beauty in all natural forms.
Much of the draw of body positivity is that it gives each individual person agency to choose from themselves and to accept themselves, and others, as they are. The β20s saw the dawn of a new era, where people who wanted to lose weight could access a range of weight loss aids, from surgical interventions to prescription weight loss drugs such as Orlistat, and a host of non-prescription and natural weight loss treatments. This range of options gives people of all sizes greater control over their body, the psychological impact of which, for many allowed us to simply accept ourselves as we are; lumps, bumps and all.
So, what is body positivity?
The body positive movement is a social action that exerts that emotional wellbeing and health can come from an acceptance and celebration of our natural physical appearance and abilities. The movement strives to take apart beauty stereotypes and one way of doing so was to demand greater representation of all body types, shapes and sizes in the media, fashion and social media. Social media has been a particularly powerful weapon in the fight for body positivity, allowing images and hashtags to spread worldwide, propagating the sentiment of body positivity around the globe.
It all started in the β60s..
While body positivity may go down in history as a concept achieved in the 21st Century, the first ripples of the movement appeared in the 1960s, when people (predominantly women) kicked back against a societal norm of diet pills, dangerous undereating, negative body image and unobtainable beauty standards. When you think of the β60s we think of super-skinny women in short dresses with refined bobs. Those women who pioneered body positivity and βfat acceptanceβ really were heroes, paving the way for something much bigger in the future.
And picked up in the β90sβ¦
The nineties saw another surge in the body positivity movement as a direct reaction to the re-emergence of super-skinny, size 0 models, which brought an expectation for younger women especially to fit into that same unrealistic mould.
Fast forward to 2020sβ¦
In 2023 body positivity is, hopefully, here to stay. The unachievable standards set on the catwalks in the β60s and β90s were made even more unrealistic as thighs were air brushed and waists made impossibly tiny. Somehow, despite the fact that we knew that that no-lumps, size 2, βperfectβ figure was beyond our control, impressionable women and men felt compelled to starve, disfigure and deprive themselves in the vain hope that they could look as good as their air-brushed, painted, pampered and primped idols.
What does body positivity look like today?
The media loves extremes, whether that is extremely skinny or extremely fat. There doesnβt seem to be a middle ground. So one criticism of the body positivity movement is that it normalises poor health, making it ok or even commendable to have a lifestyle that is potentially dangerous and could have serious health implications.
Regardless of the criticisms, it is clear that for many healthy people who struggle with their appearance, body positivity is a valuable tool in showing people of all ages, sizes and gender orientations that it is ok β better than ok β to be happy with themselves, just the way they are. Itβs OK have belly rolls, wobbly thighs or leg dimples, because most of us β men included β do. And the more that we let it all hang out and are honest and open about our beautiful, unique, wonderful bodies, the more others will accept theirs. And maybe, just maybe, one day we will reach a time where we donβt look at someone in a bikini on the beach or in the media and make judgements, we just see someone that is happy in the sunshine and living their best life.