Task 9_The Body Positive Movement

           The Body Positive Movement

The body positive movement is firmly in our lives: plus-size models are increasingly appearing on the covers of magazines, fashion houses arrange inclusive shows with non-standard models, and the word "diversity" does not leave the pages of the media. It seems like good news, but it's not really that clear cut.

A body positive (https://bit.ly/2Pe4pAs) is a feminist movement whose main goal is to convince people to accept the body for what it is. The motto of the followers of the bodypositive is: "My body is my business" . The aim of the movement is to fight against imposed standards of beauty, to rid people of complexes and to start talking freely about the body.

The idea that everyone has the right to respect regardless of how they look is very humane and correct. A person may not meet the standards of beauty, but he deserves equal rights and acceptance.

The origin of body positive began in 1967 with a campaign against social discrimination of fat people and their struggle for their rights. Later activists began to proclaim respect not only for obese people, but also for people with disabilities, with scars, burns, to transgender people, etc. And it seems more logical, because in this case we are talking about things that a person can not change in their appearance. The body positive in this case helps people to overcome the conflict with their appearance for a happy and fulfilling life.

Now there is a very bad tendency to distort the true meaning of the body positive. The idea of accepting a person, as well as tolerating his appearance, was replaced by a disregard for his appearance and especially for weight. The unwillingness to look after your body has become an ideology. Overeating and lack of exercise are not condemned, but welcomed, and reminders of healthy lifestyle are perceived with hostility.

In the Guardian (https://bit.ly/2PvLks4) Bocnic wrote: "Like countless others, I had found self-love and acceptance in the arms of the body positivity movement". When she had lost more than 100 pounds she realized it was the right thing to do as being overweight was bad for her health. And I definitely support her point of view since she only declared a bodypositive when she accepted herself in the right way.

This is a very difficult question for many of us, but in conclusion, I would like to add that it is important that you learn to feel your body, to be comfortable in it, and there are not numbers, and health status. Also, you shouldn’t be afraid of doctors. If we have problems with weight or with skin that confuse us, then we do not need to console ourselves with the thought "I am who I am". The body positive is not a ban on grooming and beauty, it is the ability to take care of your appearance and take responsibility for your health, regardless of invented standards.

The sources of information which I have used to write it:

1) Tyra Bosnic (11 Dec 2019). Am I happier because I`m thinner, or thinner because I`m happier? Retrieved from: https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2019/dec/11/body-positivity-thinner-euphoria-guilt.

2) Jessica Welch (24 Aug 2018). What is the body positive movement? Retrieved from: https://www.annmariegianni.com/body-positive-movement/.