Body Positive & Body Neutrality: two trends to pay attention to

During the last few years fashion, advertising, mass media and social media have built trends that question and reject harmful aesthetic mandates that bother women in every way. Basically, we must understand that beauty is subjective, geographic and temporal. For example: a woman may be considered beautiful in one culture and in a certain historical period, while the same woman would be considered unattractive in another culture and in another historical period. Therefore, aesthetic trends have no real meaning and only serve for each woman to experiment through them, according to her own criteria.

In this context, the Body Positive and Body Neutrality trends were born, both seeking the acceptance of all female bodies and rejecting any mandate imposed from the outside world. The Body Positive trend proposes to love the body unconditionally, accept the defects and be happy with the body that every woman has. The Body Nutrality trend also proposes the acceptance of the female body as it is, but without the need to love defects because the truth is that they have no importance. In addition, this concept proposes that aesthetic defects should never disturb the mental health of any woman. This position is very interesting, as it has been proven that women spend more than two hours a day criticizing their supposed aesthetic defects.

#Unconditional love

The defenders of the Body Positive movement argue that it is essential to make authentic bodies visible for various reasons, among which are the health of thousands of women and men of different ages who face problems such as anorexia and bulimia, or who, due to complexes about some part of their physique, avoid enjoying the beach in summer for fear of being judged. Thus, the Body Positive movement advocates the idea that every curve, stretch mark, implant or prosthesis contributes to the uniqueness of the female body.

This current seeks to raise self-esteem, confidence and self-love, encouraging people to accept their bodies as they are. It is argued that all bodies deserve respect and recognition, regardless of whether they conform to conventional standards of beauty. In addition, the movement is dedicated to challenging discrimination and stigma associated with weight, appearance and other physical characteristics.

In essence, Body Positive promotes the acceptance, respect and appreciation of all body types, without distinction of shape, size, color, gender or any other physical characteristic. It is about cultivating a positive and healthy mindset towards the body, countering unrealistic beauty standards and social pressures that often lead to body shame, low self-esteem and disorders related to self-image.

#Body Neutrality

The concept of Body Neutrality arises from the need to accept oneself impartially. It is a trend or paradigm that seeks to achieve a perception of the body that is neither positive nor negative, focusing on its functionality and what it allows to perform. The valuation is abandoned in terms of thinness or corpulence, which is different from not valuing at all. In addition, this approach offers an alternative to the Body Positive, since it is not always possible to maintain a positive view of the body. By focusing on functionality, cultural mandates and beauty stereotypes are overcome, thus validating individual differences.

Society imposes canons of beauty that, for the vast majority of people, are very difficult to achieve, causing different emotions and negatively affecting the relationship with the body. As a result of this, we are exposed to situations that generate pressure on physical fitness and how it fits or does not fit into these standards. This perspective helps to release both physical and mental pressures, since the body is no longer the only concern. Body Neutrality allows us to appreciate and understand health as an interaction between the mind and the body. In the social sphere, this vision promotes well-being and acts as a support in the prevention of eating disorders.

#Final thoughts

The Body Positive and the Body Neutrality promote a mentality that advocates body acceptance, respect for diversity, the right to be visible and recognition in society. It is essential to value the body that you have and to be grateful for everything that it allows you to achieve in every aspect of life.