My body is the least interesting thing about me

Body neutrality isn’t the solution to body positivity

Opinions Hannah Kazemi — Published October 1, 2024 2 minutes

It encourages us to maintain an impartial position when thinking about our bodies and the way we look. It is about appreciating our body for what it is rather than focusing on what it is not, or what we want it to be. It does so without forcing a consistent positive mindset. It is, therefore, more realistic to maintain body neutrality, than body positivity.

But it does not necessarily mean that body neutrality is always a healthy mindset for us to sustain either.

Women are severely prone to body image issues, resulting in over-analyzing the way our bodies look and how we are perceived. One day we feel amazing—we work out, we eat crazy amounts of vegetables and can just feel the fat falling off the bone. But the next day, we look in the mirror and all we see is disgust; and we attach that to our worth.

There’s a rhetoric that exists about both body positivity and neutrality being harmful to mental health and self-esteem. Both mindsets focus specifically on ways to improve our  thinking towards the way we look or how much we weigh. The assumption here is that “improving our bodies” is synonymous to getting smaller and losing weight, encouraging overall toxic and unhealthy behaviour.

Regardless of whether we approach this with positivity or neutrality, it ultimately worsens self-esteem and body image when we inevitably don’t see a difference right away. It brings forward a discussion about which perspective is better to use when thinking about our bodies. Nobody is always positive, nor is anybody always neutral. It is in our nature as humans to be emotional and dynamic, especially when thinking about our bodies and how we look.

Whether you feel good in your body or not, we should all be working to keep our bodies feeling happy and healthy no matter what size, weight or shape we are. Putting a label on it and forcing ourselves to stick to one way of thinking induces a cycle of frustration. It’s not realistic. Constantly thinking about our bodies isn’t going to magically make us like them any more than we already do. 

Moving your body a little bit every day, getting fresh air as much as you can, eating what fuels you as well as what satisfies cravings, and prioritizing your heart health over your pants size are all ways to let go of unnecessary labels. Embrace the ways your body changes naturally. Some days, you might hate it, others you might love it—and some days you might not even think about it at all.

Making small steps towards a healthier, well-rounded lifestyle will make all the difference.

This article originally appeared in Volume 45, Issue 3, published October 1, 2024.