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Body neutrality

Movement advocating the mental quality that seeks to accept oneself and one's body From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Body neutrality
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The concept of body neutrality encourages the mindset that a person's bodily appearance, and attitudes towards it, should have the least possible effect on their experience of life. Its proponents assert that people should neither be celebrated for their conformance with an ideal of bodily beauty nor criticised for departure from such a condition. It may be contrasted with body positivity,[4] the fat acceptance movement, lookism, and body shaming. Some explanations of the concept emphasise a body's functionality over its aesthetics.[5][6][7]

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The sculpture of two women in bronze, Jag tänker på mig själv – Växjö ( 'I am thinking of myself – Växjö') by Marianne Lindberg De Geer [sv], 2005, outside the art museum of Växjö, Sweden.[1][2] [n 1]
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Perspective

As the term suggests, 'body neutrality' offers a middle way between the attitudes of body negativity present in lookism and body shaming, and the all-accepting approach found in body positivity and the fat acceptance movement.[8][better source needed][9]

Avoiding "toxic body positivity"

The psychologist Susan Albers notes that the difference between body neutrality and body positivity is that with body neutrality, "Your value is not tied to your body nor does your happiness depend on what you look like. A body-positive approach says you are beautiful no matter what. Period," - she explains that the affirmations required in adopting body positivity may feel inauthentic.[8] With regard to body positivity, researchers Lisa Legault and Anise Sago argue that an undue emphasis on body positivity can "stifle and diminish important negative feelings." They explain that negative feelings are a natural part of the human experience and that such feelings can be important and informational. They say "ignoring negative feelings and experiences exerts a cost to authenticity and self-integration." The body positivity movement, they argue, can make it seem like a person should only feel positive emotions. This expectation to have only positive feelings is sometimes called "toxic body positivity".[10]

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Development of body neutrality

Body image is a person's perception of their physical self and their thoughts and feelings, positive and negative, as a result of that perception. With societal pressures, especially pressures linked to social media, impacting people's mental health due to body insecurity, body positivity might be challenging.[11] Body neutrality seeks to lessen the relationship between a person's health and well-being to their physical appearance.[8]

Since its emergence around 2015,[12] body neutrality has offered some hope even for those who struggle to find any positive attitudes towards their physical self.[12] Experimental studies indicate that even brief exposure to body neutrality content on social media can have beneficial psychological effects, improving body satisfaction and overall mood.[13]

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Adopters of body neutrality

Amongst body neutrality's better-known adherents is Erynn Chambers, a tikitok creator who has practiced body neutrality for multiple years. She spoke out to her online audience stating, "I don't want to hate my body, but I don't feel like a goddess either."[14] She pushes for the idea to recognize what your body can do rather than the way it looks. Similarly, Bethany C. Meyers is another major online presence advocating for body neutrality; Meyers, who is queer identifying, has "dedicated their life to exploring themselves and what it means to love themselves and others."[15] They created the project 'be.come'[16] to encourage confidence without intimidation, through their own transparency.[14][15][16][17][18][5][12][8]

Others include bloggers Gabi Gregg[19] and Stephanie Yeboah.[20]

Bibliography

  • Woolf, Naomi (1990). The Beauty Myth. Chatto & Windus. ISBN 978-0-385-42397-7.
  • Rees, Anuschka (2019). Beyond Beautiful: A Practical Guide to Being Happy, Confident, and You in a Looks-Obsessed World. Potter/Ten Speed/Harmony/Rodale. ISBN 9780399582097.
  • Kneeland, Jessi (2023). Body Neutral: A Revolutionary Guide to Overcoming Body Image Issues. ISBN 978-0593491768.

See also

Notes

  1. De Geer's sculpture depicts one thin woman and one fat woman and demonstrates society's infatuation with outward appearances. The sculpture has been a source of controversy in the town, with both statues being vandalized and repaired during 2006.[3]

References

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