From the recent viral TikTok body positivity anthem, “Victoria’s Secret” to the third wave of body positivity movement that flooded social media in the 2010s, the body positivity movement has gained a lot of support over the decades, leading even big fashion brands to embrace and campaign for body positivity.
This well-aged notion refers to an idea of having a positive view of your physical appearances, disregarding societal “ideal” shape, size, or appearance, basically loving one’s body the way they are.
Indeed, it is a significant move as it intends to reject unrealistic body standards, which eventually allows the individuals of any shape, size, or physical feature to feel comfortable in their own skin.
However, when it comes to body positivity, there is an important point to think about, which is often overlooked by many. Why should our body be mainly, if not only, judged by its appearance? Why does it always have to stay “beautiful”? Ironically, the concept of body positivity is still emphasizing the individuals’ physical appearance. Positive or not, it still does not change the fact that it is judging individuals based on their appearance as compliments can be a form of judgment as well.
Our body is made and exists to perform various functions and movements. Why is our body only left to be judged by appearance when it is so much more than just an appearance, being capable of so many amazing things? Are we not allowed to go beyond the lines of physical appearance?
I did not just start doubting body positivity from the beginning. The question started slowly growing inside me, along with my body obsession.
This March, after having a full medical examination for the first time, I grew an interest in health and soon felt the need to take care of my health. The first thing that came to my mind was to habituate myself to consistently do exercise to start my life-long journey to a healthy lifestyle.
At this point, some might be thinking, “Did she do something wrong when working out?” or wondering if I have starved myself or practiced an unhealthy diet. Surprisingly, neither of them. Rather, by doing exercise on a regular basis and completely staying on a healthy diet, I have lost about 10 Kilograms of body fat.
However, this is not to pride myself on my body transformation. The new healthy lifestyle of mine soon took a different turn with the scale and mirror. My daily routine of watching the weight on the scale and checking myself in the mirror soon became a mild body obsession. It was strange to see myself, who never once in life cared about body weight, being overly nervous about any possible “bad” physical changes.
Around then, I learned about body neutrality. Body neutrality is the concept that focuses on what the body can do, rather than its appearances. It prioritizes the body’s function. You do not have to love or hate your body. You can feel neutral towards the body, accepting it as it is in its current state while acknowledging what all your body is capable of doing.
As I have thought that our body is much more than what it’s being seen as, I have decided to move into the body-neutral mindset. From then on, when working out, I focused solely on my body’s ability to use each of the body parts to perform certain moves and how much strength I could use with my body parts. Focusing on what my body is capable of, I felt a greater sense of achievement than when I stressed over what’s being seen.
So, for those who are concerned and obsessing over your body out there, your body can bend, spread, contract, relax, or even just be beautiful. Your body is full of infinite potential. Do not ever lock up such potential of yours neither on the scale nor the mirror. Never stop to appreciate and be amazed by what your body can do, rather than how it looks.