What Are the Fundamentals of Body Positivity?

Body positivity is a powerful movement designed to boost self-confidence and acceptance of all body types. Every woman and man deserves to feel comfortable and happy in their body, regardless of what anyone else may think.

It has honorable intentions, but there are many misconceptions about body positivity that complicate the conversation surrounding it. At its core, body positivity has the right idea in mind when correctly understood.

To understand body positivity, you’ll need to know what the primary fundamentals are. These are the supporting beliefs that are collectively meant to improve your self-image and overall well being.

To help you determine what this respectable movement aims to achieve, we’ll explain a few of the most important concepts behind body positivity below.

Accepting Flaws

Accepting your flaws is one significant part of body positivity.

Everyone has imperfections, even the people that seem angelic and extremely attractive. You must remember that you often only see what people want you to see.

This means that many people actively hide their flaws. That doesn’t mean they aren’t there, but you just can’t see them.

Knowing that, it’s only natural for you to have some flaws, slight as they may be. Regardless of what it is, being ignorant about it only hurts you.

On some level, you likely understand what it is about your appearance that might make you insecure. Let go of this feeling and know that there is no reason to feel insecure.

Whatever part of your body you don’t enjoy doesn’t need to be a source of pain for you. By accepting your body, you’re allowing yourself to let go of all the pain it causes you.

This is highly important because it gives you thicker skin. Should someone rude comment on your flaw, you won’t be as bothered about it because you already know and accept it. You can’t tease someone who is self-aware because they already know and you aren’t shocking them.

Body positivity is about self-awareness and that includes what you perceive to be bodily flaws. Use this knowledge to your advantage and accept that your imperfections are what make you uniquely yourself.

Separating Worth From Body Image

Another crucial idea is to separate your worth from your body image.

This point is probably the driving force behind body positivity. With today’s mainstream media, the narrative getting constantly pushed is that skinnier people are more attractive and better.

It’s easy to fall into this line of thinking, especially with how conventionally attractive people tend to get treated better in life. However, you must remember that this opinion is inaccurate and biased.

When you look at the media, you’re looking at the highlights of what they want to portray to you. Most people do not look anything like those portrayed on TV, movies, and magazines.

Furthermore, the way these people look does not make them better than you! It simply means that they were dealt a different hand in life.

The point here is that it’s easy to associate your body image with your worth. If skinny women are treated better, that must mean others value them more.

While some people follow this thought process, it is wrong! The way you look has nothing to do with your worth.

Consider this; how you look is largely determined by genetics and not in your control. Alternatively, things like your personality, behavior, and accolades are all determined by you.

Should your worth be determined by something you can control or something arbitrary that was decided before you were born? Also, keep in mind that looks fade with time. In old age, the people who are appreciated more are those with attractive souls.

All Bodies Are Included

One concept often misconstrued is that all bodies are included.

This applies to people of all gender, race, class, size, and sexual orientations. Everyone deserves to feel good about their body and how they look.

Mainstream media often portrays body positivity simply as women with curves. While curvy women are certainly included, they are not the only group.

Regardless of what other people may think or say about your body, their opinions do not matter. You can appreciate your body and love how you feel, even if others don’t.

Body positivity focuses on feeling positive about your body. This is something anyone should feel without any thought about how their body looks.

Caring For Yourself

Arguably the most overlooked element of body positivity involves caring for yourself.

This is where body positivity gets confusing. Two excellent ideas behind body positivity are to accept yourself and not feel ashamed of how you look, which are two excellent notions.

What this does not mean is that you should accept less from yourself. Instead, you should be honest with yourself and accept where you are and where you need to go.

Sedentary lifestyles and unhealthy eating habits will eventually lead to health complications. It’s okay to love your body, but that does not mean allowing yourself to continue behaviors that directly damage your health.

What gives body positivity a bad reputation at times is when it’s used as a reason why someone doesn’t need to or won’t make healthy changes in their life. You shouldn’t feel ashamed of being overweight, but that doesn’t mean that you still can’t make healthy choices.

Body positivity also requires that you take care of yourself because you’ll need to learn to love yourself. Loving yourself is being brutally honest and understanding what your body needs from you.

When you’re able to love yourself, you’ll listen to your body and make changes to improve it. You certainly should be happy with where you are now, but everyone has room for improvement.

If you truly loved your body, would you continue to feed it with food that makes you feel awful? Probably not, and this is where body positivity must be understood properly.

Being body positive entails taking care of your body and feeling good about yourself during all steps of your journey.

Closing Thoughts

One of the most misunderstood movements today is body positivity. There seem to be skewed perceptions about who it applies to and what it entails. This is disappointing because body positivity has great intentions and everyone should feel positive about how they look.

A few fundamental beliefs support body positivity. This includes accepting your flaws, separating your worth from your body image, all bodies are included, and you must remember to care for yourself.

When taken in context, body positivity is empowering and uplifting. Try to always remember what body positivity stands for to keep yourself healthy and happy!