Hello readers and every member of the Hive learners, first of all. Happy weekend to everyone reading this, and yeah, it's almost time for the working class to take a break and relax. Before we begin, there is much to discuss, and today we will be exploring the topic of body positivity. However, before diving into the topic, we need to understand what it means.
Body positivity is the acceptance and appreciation of your body and others' bodies, regardless of size, shape, or appearance, challenging societal and media-driven beauty standards that promote unrealistic ideals.
Body positivity has become one of the most popular conversations of our time. It is a movement that encourages people to embrace their bodies, no matter the size, shape, or appearance. At its core, body positivity challenges the unrealistic beauty standards often set by the media and society, and instead teaches us to accept ourselves just the way we are. This is important because many people, for years, have lived with shame, insecurity, and low self-esteem simply because their bodies did not fit into a particular mold.
But as much as body positivity is meant to liberate, an important question comes to mind: can it ever cross the line into toxicity? Can the idea of loving your body be taken to an extreme where it no longer helps, but begins to harm? For example, could someone use “body positivity” as a reason to ignore health concerns, or to dismiss the struggles of others? Yes, that's what we would be discussing today.
In as much body positivity means, exmbrancing and loving your body the way it is, does it mean you shouldn't improve on yourself when your body is a concern to your health. The fact some people day, that's how my body is, just accept it like that when they can clearly improve themselve show how toxic they can be.
I was listening to aproko Doctor yesterday talk on the benefit of exercising for body male and female, and especially the female, the main reason why a lady should exercise is not just because she wants that tea bag body, but because it helps to strengthen their bone, so when they get old or reach the menopause stage, their bone will be able to help then look more fit and they don't walk bending down.
You see, when we get old, there are homones or should I call them bacteria that goes into our body and eat our bones, making them weak, and this is why any issue that has to do with the body can easily lead to the bone breaking but for people to avoid their bone breaking easily when they are old, they need to go to the gym and strengthen those bones when they have the strength.
Now, this is where the balance comes in. Body positivity should not mean body negligence. You can love your body and still want to improve it. In fact, self-love sometimes means pushing yourself to do the uncomfortable things that will make your life better in the long run. If your body weight is becoming a health risk, choosing to exercise, eat better, and take care of yourself doesn’t mean you hate your body, it means you love it enough to make it stronger.
I believe this is where some people get it wrong. They hide under the umbrella of body positivity to avoid responsibility. Saying “accept me as I am” is fine, but when that statement begins to block you from addressing health issues, then it is no longer positivity, it’s denial. And denial can be dangerous.
We need to understand that body positivity and body improvement can exist together. You can look in the mirror, love yourself, and still say, “I want to be healthier, I want to feel lighter, I want to breathe better when I climb the stairs.” That doesn’t cancel your self-love; it strengthens it.
Another thing is, society plays a big role here. We’ve all seen how social media glorifies certain body shapes, whether it’s the slim figure, six-packs, or curvy bodies. But not everyone will look like that, and that’s perfectly fine. What matters is not trying to fit into another person’s standard, but making sure you’re living the healthiest and happiest version of your own standard. Just like me, I don't have my six packs showing, yet I don't have a pot belly.
So yes, body positivity is beautiful, but it becomes toxic when it excuses unhealthy lifestyles, or when it pressures people to “accept” something they actually can work on.
Thanks for reading. My name is Fashtioluwa.