The Truth Behind The Body Positivity Movement Essay Example

For many years, the body positivity movement has been a large topic in the media as it gains traction. This movement promotes self-confidence in all bodies, including ones that are not typically represented in the media; it normalizes being comfortable in your own skin at all weights and sizes. It's often supported as it is seen to help give representation to a more diverse audience. However, this is simply an illusion to rally up more supporters who will perpetuate harmful stereotypes and standards. At its core, the body positivity movement is toxic and does more harm than good.

Though the BPM isn’t all sunshine and rainbows, it still helped many people overcome their self image issues. Many people found a community through the movement and were able “to talk about their own insecurities” so that they could work through them together (The Body Positivity Movement Is Helping People Love Themselves. par. 9). The BPM allowed people to find their safe space, and many were able to get over their body dysmorphia as they found a strong support system. 

The body positivity movement shows its toxicity by not including all groups of people who suffer from insecurities in their appearance. From the article “The problem with the body positivity movement” the author, Dr. Nikki Stamp, explains that the ideology behind the movement is mainly focused on “women who are white and traditionally beautiful” (par. 17). 

Many POC grew up in America never seeing their overall appearance in the media. This lack of representation brings a feeling of alienation which could contribute to people’s insecurities. Since the BPM only focuses on white women, it loses its purpose of normalizing all appearances and repeats the very mistake that caused these insecurities. When only conventionally attractive people are seen to be included in the movement, then people who don't fit the beauty standard are excluded once again. Therefore, it isn't as inclusive as it’s made out to be. 

In addition to not being inclusive, the BPM promotes an unhealthy lifestyle. In a study “Back in 1990, when researchers asked overweight Americans if they were trying to lose weight, 56 percent said yes. But this has changed. According to the latest data, just 49 percent say they're trying” (Is Dieting Passe? Study Finds Fewer Overweight People Try To Lose Weight. Allison par. 2, 3). This correlates with the growing popularity of the movement, meaning that these two have a cause and effect relationship. Why would people start wanting to lose weight less often? People have started to take the BPM out of context and start thinking that you can be healthy even while being obese. Although you shouldn’t be shamed for being at a higher weight, you shouldn’t be encouraged to continue an unhealthy lifestyle either. The BPM blurs the line between loving your body and putting it at risk. 

Now that the problem has been acknowledged, it's time to work towards actually fixing it. The first step starts with us. Let's throw away the internalized stigma within us. Let's throw away all the prejudice that we’ve had towards people who are bigger in size. Lets throw away the thought process of not seeming fatphobic at the expense of misinformation being spread about the movement. Let's start to actually criticize the movement to make it better, and help encourage people to live healthier lifestyles. With that, we can actually communicate the true message of this movement: a healthy love towards all bodies, all colors, and all sizes.

Works Cited

Writer, Opinion. “The Body Positivity Movement Is Helping People Love Themselves”. University of California, Irvine, 2020.

Stamp, Nikki. “The problem with the body positivity movement”. The Sydney Morning Herald,  2019. 

Aubrey, Allison. “Is Dieting Passe? Study Finds Fewer Overweight People Trying To Lose Weight”. NPR KQED, 2017.