Recently on TikTok, Lizzo posted a candid update on where she was in her health journey. “I’m trying to remind myself that my body needed that nourishment and if my body deserves comfort then my brain deserves comfort too,” she said, which is a sentiment from the body neutrality movement that’s she’s been advocating for. Once known for her contribution to the body positivity movement, the singer has since shifted her outlook on the way we celebrate our bodies.
What is body neutrality?
The term “body neutrality” was popularized by certified intuitive eating counselor and eating disorder specialist Anne Poirier, who defined it as “prioritizing the body’s function and what it can do rather than its appearance.” Essentially, body neutrality is all about feeling neutral about your body and shifting the emphasis away from how it looks.
Why Lizzo has replaced body positivity with body neutrality
In a 2020 Vogue interview, Lizzo pointed out that the body positivity movement has lost its original intention and has continued to be limited to celebrating bodies that fit the very narrow beauty standard. “What I don’t like”, Lizzo said, “is how the people that this term was created for are not benefiting from it. Girls with back fat, girls with bellies that hang, girls with thighs that aren’t separated, that overlap. Girls with stretch marks. You know, girls who are in the 18-plus club.” Everyone’s body should be embraced, which the body positivity movement was about, but it ultimately circled back to spotlighting mostly white and thin girls.
The bottom line
You don’t have to love your body. In the midst of continuous body shaming and unrealistic expectations in the media, people have spoken out to promote body positivity, and that’s amazing and empowering. But not everyone’s there. In fact, nobody’s perfected the art of self confidence—some days are easier than others, but sometimes it’s really hard to be happy with yourself. And that’s okay. Beauty isn’t factual. Ugly is a feeling, a way of perceiving yourself. You don’t have to love your body, but it’s so important to respect it and take care of it.
Even after disregarding beauty standards, your body is beautiful because it’s where you live. Your legs that look weird to you in a new pair of jeans are what allow you to move. Your stomach doesn’t have to be perfectly toned; it’s what holds your internal organs. No matter if your face is clear or if your skin is tan, it’s what covers and protects your body. Your “man shoulders” are part of the bone structure that literally keeps you upright.
Positive body image is a beautiful thing and something everyone should work toward, but you aren’t any less if you aren’t happy with the way you look. Appearance isn’t the only part of you worthy of love. Take care of yourself; your body is a temple, your being, and your ally.
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