**DISCLAIMER**
Initially, my article was misinterpreted and has been edited to achieve clarification.
The Body Positive Movement has done many good things for both men and women, such as allowing them to feel comfortable in their body on their fitness journey. However, I have recently seen this movement become one of acceptance of obesity. This is dangerous as it is allowing men and women who are dangerously obese to feel that they do not need to change the error of their ways, but I believe that we should encourage these people to become motivated and healthy members of society by assisting in their fitness journeys. In addition, I feel that this cause has allowed for people who were content with their bodies to believe that they are “perfect just the way they are” and that they no longer need to strive to be healthier.
In hindsight, telling someone that they are perfect is not a bad thing, but this movement (or at least most of what I have seen it become of late) is dangerous and life threatening as the obesity that is being accepted could shorten a person’s life up to a decade. Instead of telling these unhealthy people to continue living as they are, we should encourage them to love their bodies enough to improve their health.
At this point, I am not saying that I am blind to the damage that models and celebrities are doing to their bodies to be thin. Anorexia and other eating disorders are equally as, if not more dangerous than obesity, and steps should also be taken to prevent people from feeling that anorexia is their only option to be viewed as “beautiful.” We should encourage a healthy lifestyle in our communities rather than an unhealthy one where people feel the need to eat less to feel accepted, or that they are healthy when they are not. I am instead asking that a new type of “Body Positivity Campaign” take place where people are encouraged to love their bodies and take care of their healthy
Adults are the representatives of this movement, are the role models of children. Since America has become so accepting of unhealthiness, our childhood obesity rate has jumped four percent. While this correlation is not scientifically proven, it is ironic that the rate has risen as our nation as a whole has become more accepting of this threatening epidemic. Nearly 31 percent of children are overweight or obese and, instead of implementing regulations or workout plans in schools, America has urged that we accept this alarming percentage and now even children’s dolls are being made in the same varying sizes of people. The Body Positive Campaign sees this as a step in the right direction, but children becoming accepting of obesity and being overweight is dangerous, and we should not take this lightly. With nearly 70 percent of adults being overweight or obese, it is not surprising that adults are encouraging the portrayal of varying body images to children.
Fact 1: Obesity is correlated to an earlier death.
Fact 2: Children are becoming more overweight or obese at nearly 30 percent.
Fact 3: Adults are becoming more overweight or obese at nearly 70 percent.
So I ask, why are we becoming accepting of these statistics? Why would we be okay with being the 18th most overweight and obese country? Why would we not, instead, beat these statistics and lose the weight to increase our life spans and health. I encourage each and every person reading this to put himself or herself out there and become more confident by making your body one you can love, rather than becoming contempt with the one you have. I understand that healthy looks different on each individual, but allowing yourself to be contempt and not striving to be better is hindering your own health and impacting your own life span. And if you can’t make these changes for yourself, at least make them for the future generations.
