A registered dietitian shares why body positivity isn’t the answer to diet culture, and body liberation is.
Here’s how to try embracing it.
The FDA Just Banned Red Dye No.
3: The Future of Processed Foods
Is Red Wine Any Healthier for You Than White Wine?
Proffee Is the Hottest New Beverage Trendbut Should You Really Be Adding Protein to Your Coffee?
What thoughts come to mind when asked how you feel about your body?
…
Do you love your body?
If the answer is no, youre not alone.
What is diet culture?
And the worst part?
Im no stranger to the harm that can be sparked by diet culture.
As an anti-diet dietitian, Ive worked with countless clients to heal their relationship with food and exercise.
But diet culture isnt benign.
An important note before continuing.
Diet culture sends the message that bodies that fall outside of the accepted, thin norm are unhealthy.
…
This can lead to poor self-image and drastic attempts to alter ones weight.
I know first-hand what this feels like, and I started my first diet at just 13 years old.
Before continuing, its important to share that I grew up thin.
This movement was focused on ending fat-shaming and discrimination based on body size.
However, it wasnt until around 2012 that thebody positivity movement in its current formemerged.
This movement focused on challenging unrealistic beauty standards, and the messaging shifted toward all bodies are beautiful.
My journey with body positivity started in my early 20s.
Even though I was at my thinnest, I hated everything about my body.
During this time, I was active on Instagram and Twitter.
In the summer of 2014, I started following more body-positive accounts.
I wanted in on whatever magic they had found for themselves.
As a thin, cisgender, white woman, body positivity was a welcoming space for me.
But is body positivity enough to combat the harm due to diet culture?
I argue that it isnt.
Just search the hashtags #bodypositivity and #bopo.
I was one of these women.
I never stopped to think of how these kinds of posts would affect people who were actually fat.
While it may pretend to be, todays body positivity isnt accessible to everyone, and thats a problem.
It is the belief that all bodies are worthy and deserve to exist just as they are.
In addition to recognizing that you are so much more than your body, body liberation is intersectional.
Unlike body positivity, body liberation is foreveryone.
I first learned about body liberation when I experienced significant weight gain as a side effect of psychiatric medications.
My doctor started focusing on my weight at every appointment.
Whenever I saw her, she told me I needed to lose weight to be healthy.
But no matter what I did, my weight continued to go up.
Finally, I had to accept that I was now living in a bigger body.
Suddenly,body positivity felt out of reach.
I knew something needed to change.
I started followingfat-positive Instagrammersand was introduced to the concept of body liberation.
My journey with body liberation has been long and complex.
Id be lying if I said I was the perfect example of a body liberationist.
You are so much more than a body.
And you are worthy, just as you are.
…
Got it, you’ve been added to our email list.
