Body neutrality

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The sculpture of two women in bronze, Jag tanker pa mig sjalv - Vaxjo ( 'I am thinking of myself - Vaxjo') by Marianne Lindberg De Geer [sv], 2005, outside the art museum of Vaxjo, Sweden. Bronskvinnorna, Marianne Lindberg De Geer.jpg
The sculpture of two women in bronze, Jag tänker på mig själv – Växjö ( 'I am thinking of myself – Växjö') by Marianne Lindberg De Geer  [ sv ], 2005, outside the art museum of Växjö, Sweden.

The concept of body neutrality encourages the mindset that a person's bodily appearance, and attitudes towards it, should have the least possible effect on their experience of life. Its proponents assert that people should neither be celebrated for their conformance with an ideal of bodily beauty nor criticised for departure from such a condition. It may be contrasted with body positivity, [4] the fat acceptance movement, lookism, and body shaming. Some explanations of the concept emphasise a body's functionality over its aesthetics. [5] [6] [7]

Contents

Description

As the term suggests, 'body neutrality' offers a middle way between the attitudes of body negativity present in lookism and body shaming, and the all-accepting approach found in body positivity and the fat acceptance movement. [8] [ better source needed ] [9]

Avoiding "toxic body positivity"

The psychologist Susan Albers notes that the difference between body neutrality and body positivity is that with body neutrality, "Your value is not tied to your body nor does your happiness depend on what you look like. A body-positive approach says you are beautiful no matter what. Period," - she explains that the affirmations required in adopting body positivity may feel inauthentic. [8] With regard to body positivity, researchers Lisa Legault and Anise Sago argue that an undue emphasis on body positivity can "stifle and diminish important negative feelings." They explain that negative feelings are a natural part of the human experience and that such feelings can be important and informational. They say "ignoring negative feelings and experiences exerts a cost to authenticity and self-integration." The body positivity movement, they argue, can make it seem like a person should only feel positive emotions. This expectation to have only positive feelings is sometimes called "toxic body positivity". [10]

Development of body neutrality

Body image is a person's perception of their physical self and their thoughts and feelings, positive and negative, as a result of that perception. With societal pressures, especially pressures linked to social media, impacting people's mental health due to body insecurity, body positivity might be challenging. [11] Body neutrality seeks to lessen the relationship between a person's health and well-being to their physical appearance. [8]

Since its emergence around 2015, [12] body neutrality has offered some hope even for those who struggle to find any positive attitudes towards their physical self. [12] Experimental studies indicate that even brief exposure to body neutrality content on social media can have beneficial psychological effects, improving body satisfaction and overall mood. [13]

Adopters of body neutrality

Amongst body neutrality's better-known adherents is Erynn Chambers, a TikTok creator who has practiced body neutrality for multiple years. She spoke out to her online audience stating, "I don't want to hate my body, but I don't feel like a goddess either." [14] She pushes for the idea to recognize what your body can do rather than the way it looks. Similarly, Bethany C. Meyers is another major online presence advocating for body neutrality; Meyers, who is queer identifying, has "dedicated their life to exploring themselves and what it means to love themselves and others." [15] They created the project 'be.come' [16] to encourage confidence without intimidation, through their own transparency. [14] [15] [16] [17] [18] [5] [12] [8]

Others include bloggers Gabi Gregg [19] and Stephanie Yeboah. [20]

Bibliography

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ De Geer's sculpture depicts one thin woman and one fat woman and demonstrates society's infatuation with outward appearances. The sculpture has been a source of controversy in the town, with both statues being vandalized and repaired during 2006. [3]

References

  1. ↑ "Bronskvinnorna" [The bronze women]. Vaxjo.se. Archived from the original on 2019-08-13. Retrieved 2025-07-05.
  2. ↑ "Obesity over time". OpenLearn. Archived from the original on 2018-05-16. Retrieved 2025-07-05.
  3. ↑ Roxvall, Anna (30 November 2006). "Skulpturer rör upp känslor i Växjö" [Sculptures stir emotions in Växjö]. Svenska Dagbladet (in Swedish). Archived from the original on 2020-07-25. Retrieved 2025-09-27.
  4. ↑ "Body Positivity vs. Body Neutrality". Verywell Mind. Archived from the original on 6 March 2025. Retrieved 27 February 2025.
  5. 1 2 "Telesna neutralnost: Prihvatanje tela zbog svega onog što može da uradi, ne zbog toga kako izgleda" [Body Neutrality: Accepting the body for all it can do, not what it looks like]. British Broadcasting Corporation (in Bosnian). October 1, 2020. Archived from the original on September 20, 2021. Retrieved September 19, 2021.
  6. ↑ Sophie S. Whynacht. "Body Neutrality: A Healthier Way to Relate to Your Body | Psychology Today". www.psychologytoday.com. Retrieved 5 July 2025.
  7. ↑ Frates, Elizabeth Pegg (14 April 2022). "Moving to wellness while practicing body neutrality". Harvard Health. Retrieved 27 September 2025.
  8. 1 2 3 4 "Body Neutrality vs. Body Positivity". Cleveland Clinic. Retrieved 2024-03-03.
  9. ↑ Pinder-Ambrose, Lauren (26 June 2020). "Body Neutrality: the Freeing Mindset?". Mindless Mag. Archived from the original on 10 August 2025. Retrieved 1 August 2025.
  10. ↑ Legault, Lisa; Sago, Anise (June 2022). "When body positivity falls flat: Divergent effects of body acceptance messages that support vs. undermine basic psychological needs". Body Image. 41: 225–238. doi:10.1016/j.bodyim.2022.02.013. PMID   35305477. S2CID   247506568. Archived from the original on 2022-04-22. Retrieved 2025-08-01.
  11. ↑ Merino, Mariana; Tornero-Aguilera, José Francisco; Rubio-Zarapuz, Alejandro; Villanueva-Tobaldo, Carlota Valeria; Martín-Rodríguez, Alexandra; Clemente-Suárez, Vicente Javier (12 July 2024). "Body Perceptions and Psychological Well-Being: A Review of the Impact of Social Media and Physical Measurements on Self-Esteem and Mental Health with a Focus on Body Image Satisfaction and Its Relationship with Cultural and Gender Factors". Healthcare. 12 (14): 1396. doi: 10.3390/healthcare12141396 . PMC   11276240 . PMID   39057539.
  12. 1 2 3 Swami, Viren (6 October 2022). "Body neutrality: what it is and how it can help lead to more positive body image". The Conversation. Archived from the original on 27 May 2025. Retrieved 1 August 2025.
  13. ↑ Seekis, Veya; Lawrence, Rebecca K. (December 2023). "How exposure to body neutrality content on TikTok affects young women's body image and mood". Body Image. 47 101629. doi: 10.1016/j.bodyim.2023.101629 . PMID   37742535.
  14. 1 2 "'I don't want to hate my body but I don't feel like a goddess either'". www.bbc.com. 4 September 2020. Retrieved 17 October 2025.
  15. 1 2 White, Barrett (8 May 2018). "Queer Fitness Instructor Bethany C. Meyers on Finding Yourself, Personally and Professionally". Spectrum South - The Voice of the Queer South. Archived from the original on 13 September 2024. Retrieved 17 October 2025.
  16. 1 2 "Instagram (please add title)". www.instagram.com. Retrieved 17 October 2025.
  17. ↑ Sreenivas, Shishira. "What Is Body Neutrality?". WebMD. Archived from the original on 2023-10-10. Retrieved 2023-09-14.
  18. ↑ Godwin, Cody Melissa (September 2, 2020). "Body neutrality: What if you don't really love or hate your body?". BBC News . Archived from the original on October 9, 2021. Retrieved October 9, 2021.
  19. ↑ "Concept: Body Neutrality". GENDER JUSTICE PROJECT. 14 September 2020. Retrieved 1 August 2025.
  20. ↑ "Move over body positivity, body neutrality is the new realistic movement". Dazed. 8 January 2020. Archived from the original on 2 June 2025. Retrieved 1 August 2025.
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