We have all seen the pictures online and in magazines of beautiful and fearless women showing off how confident they are of themselves and their bodies, while wondering when we will reach that same level of confidence. But the real truth is that the wonderful idea of body positivity has taken a negative turn. The whole cycle of feeling bad about yourself, going on a three week diet, exercising, then finally giving up and calling laziness 'body positivity' completely obliterates the main goal- to simply help women feel good about themselves. Studies show that just in the US, about 20 million women have suffered from some sort of eating disorder in their life; worldwide, the number is far greater. Different generations have different ideals for body. For example, one can see ancient Greek statues of the goddess Aphrodite, complete with thunder thighs and belly rolls, yet now the chances of finding an actress without her collar bones sticking out is slim. With the ideal body types rapidly changing, people end up disliking their own body types and succumbing to eating disorders to fit the norm.
When I first heard of body positivity, frankly, I was appalled. The fact that society has forced women to hate their bodies and come up with a way to love themselves again is terribly hypocritical, to say the least. We should never be put in a situation where we are so self conscious about ourselves that we end up criticizing our own bodies, the physical thing that makes us who we are. The real fact is that no man or woman should ever be put in the position where they are ashamed of themselves. When we walk into a room, the first thought we have shouldn't be categorizing everyone as the 'exercizer' for her muscles, or the 'genetically-gifted' for his lean frame, or the 'potato-lover' for a slight bulge around her stomach. "Body Positivity" has helped many people overcome their struggles and embrace themselves, but the truth is that we should have never had to face that struggle in the first place.
Nonetheless, no matter how much good "Body Positivity" has done for people, it has been wielded as an excuse. It does not mean that someone can eat all the junk food they want, feel bad about themselves, and then call the guilt Body Positivity. It also does not mean that one can call themselves body positivists because they are too lazy to exercise, instead of actually taking care of their body and staying healthy. From the body-builder who follows a strict diet of protein shakes and kale to the obese man trying to make a lifestyle change by going walking everyday, the people that are actually making the effort to reach good mental health and feel good about themselves while taking care of their bodies are the real body positivists.
So let's change body positivity back to its original meaning, to feeling good about yourself, and when you feel that shred of self-consciousness about your body or yourself, make a real effort to change it, for a better body, better mind, and overall, a better lifestyle. Don't use it as an excuse, use it as inspiration.
