Have you ever had a rumbly in your tumbly? If so, then you know how Winnie the Pooh feels all the time. However, Pooh Bear does not feel guilty about his hunger and embraces his love of honey. Many children's shows have cartoons that may or may not be intentionally sexualized (I don't write them so I don't know if its on purpose) but the result is still the same, sexualization is happening. Winnie the Pooh promotes loving one's self no matter what.
If you haven't watched this video about Winnie the Pooh singing about exercise you need to:
This song is the most literal example of body positivity in Winnie the Pooh: he is encouraging both exercise and eating to one's content through the lyrics. He never feels bad that he is hungry, or is upset at his size, even when he gets stuck in Rabbit's door. Pooh loves himself and wants to take care of his body.
Every other example of body positivity is subliminal. Each of the animals that live in The Hundred Acre Woods have a different shape. Pooh is round all over, Tiger has broad shoulders, Kanga has wide hips, and so on. Each size is relevant to the animal's job in life. Pooh is cuddly, Tiger is strong, Kanga needs to have room for Roo.
This helps kids realize that everyone comes in all types of sizes and it does not make an impact on the way they are treated or make them any more beautiful than anyone else.
Winnie the Pooh is also great for body positivity because the main characters are animals, not people. There aren't any humans being sexualized or implanting ideas of beauty on to young minds. The stories of Winnie the Pooh and The Hundred Acre Woods are about friendship, family and thoughts on how to live life- something the world needs more of, especially in children's literature and television.
