With the New Year comes many resolutions and reflections and for this upcoming year it might be time to take on a new outlook about ourselves and each other. Over the past couple of years the body positive movement has been gaining greater mainstream presence. This is a movement that is generally focused on empowering people, especially women, in accepting who they are as a whole. You will find various interpretations of body positivity, but as noted by Bustle’s Marie Southard Ospina the movement comes down to understanding that “all bodies are worthy of self-love, self-care, and acceptance[;] all bodies are allowed to feel beautiful, regardless of their color or jean size or health status or how attractive you personally find them to be.”[1]
As this movement continues to evolve, a larger message is developing, an emphasis that is placed on being accepting of yourself in its totality, the body and the heart of the person. The organization, The Body Positive, founded by Connie Sobczak and Elizabeth Scott in 1996, shares this as they “teach people how to reconnect to their innate body wisdom so they can have more balanced, joyful self-care, and a relationship with their whole selves that is guided by love, forgiveness, and humor.”[2] With Sobczak stating “We need to focus on beauty as the totality of a human being — internal and external — and how that’s expressed in the world.”[3]
The combination of the presence of body
positive activists as models Ashley Graham, Tess Holiday and fashion blogger Gabifresh and campaigns from the likes of Dove, Wear Your Voice Magazine and Lane Bryant has led to a continuing push to challenge society’s perception of how a body should look. And not only is there an increase in visibility, but all women are able to be inspired and empowered by the individuals and the organizations that are making waves.
As we venture into this New Year, it is an opportunity to take on the work of self-love, self-care and acceptance to be able to completely achieve all that we aspire to do and to be.
[1] Marie Southard Ospina, “What is the body positivity? The Crazy Concept that is Loving Yourself,” Bustle, November 18, 2015, https://www.bustle.com/articles/123102-what-is-body-positivity-the-crazy-concept-that-is-loving-yourself-video.
[2] “About Us,” The Body Positive, http://www.thebodypositive.org/about.
[3] Jaleesa M. Jones, “Body positivity has hit the mainstream. Now what?” USA Today, October 10, 2016, http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/2016/10/07/body-positivity-mainstream/91458824/.