Misconceptions about the body positivity movement

Topics mentioned: body image, social media

Author: Charlotte, 17

About: Charlotte shares her thoughts on the body positivity movement, how media can affect mental health, and her tips for having a positive body image.

Do you ever feel like your body isn’t good enough? If you do, you are not alone. In fact, approximately 90% of young men and women experience dissatisfaction with their bodies.

This issue has become more and more severe in recent years, as body standards have become too unrealistic to be achieved by anyone. Even people who seem so confident in their own skin may be struggling with their body image more than you could ever imagine!

The constant exposure to the media has definitely taken a toll on many people’s mental health. With social media, it can be really hard to avoid falling into the trap of comparing ourselves to others, especially when it comes to how we look.

However, the problem with comparing yourself to what you see on social media is that online everything is carefully filtered and selected. And in the case of influencers, what you see has been organised and presented using professional, expert knowledge because they rely on their content to earn a living.

Luckily, we have now reached an era where people have realised how unhealthy these social comparisons are and these toxic mindsets can lead to lower self-esteem, depression, suicidal thoughts, and even eating disorders.

The body positivity movement has done a great job of raising awareness around this issue, but not everybody supports the idea of body positivity; some people even think that it’s encouraging people to be unhealthy. I think this couldn’t be further from the truth.

In my opinion, the true meaning of body positivity isn’t about the fact that it’s okay to be a fat woman, or it’s okay to be a skinny man.

Most people want to have things that they don’t have. For instance, people who would be viewed as skinny might want to be curvier or more muscular. Those who are seen as fat might want to have a smaller waist or a six pack. It feels like nobody can ever feel happy about their body in this society.

This is where body positivity comes in. It’s about educating each other, sharing our experiences with body image struggles, learning how to love and care for ourselves, and celebrating each and every unique body type across the globe, for all identities.

Everybody’s body is different and beautiful in its own way. You cannot judge yourself or anyone by their body. Take care of your body and love it!