What are the dangers of body positivity? The downside of a popular movement

Body positivity is gaining more and more popularity around the world every year. It would seem that such a movement should rid us of the problems associated with the cult of thinness and the notorious standards of society. And in many ways, a positive attitude to the body has borne fruit. First, the concept of beauty has unequivocally expanded. Now on fashion shows and magazine covers you can see not only a girl with perfectly retouched skin and without a single hint of fat layer, but also an ordinary man with his own features: overweight, wrinkles and folds, hair, individual features of the skin. In general, with everything that we are all so familiar with in real life.

Secondly, the new social trend teaches us to respect others. Bullying is unacceptable, especially if it is based on external features: figure, skin color, facial features or any diseases. In the end, bodypositive helped many people to accept themselves, saved them from anorexia, eating disorders, depression and even desperate acts. After all, imposed standards of beauty are quite a strong benchmark, and the desire to conform to them in most cases becomes unhealthy.

What then is the danger of bodypositive behavior?

Nevertheless, there are negative consequences of bodypositivity, which can be described by the phrase “from extreme to extreme”. Of course, we have no right to generalize and speak for all representatives of the movement. But, you must agree, certain problems also began to develop on its background.

The number of overweight people has increased

In the University of East Anglia conducted a study, which involved 23.5 thousand residents of the country with overweight or obese. Scientists concluded that along with the fact that plus size has become positioned as a variant of the norm, people with extra kilograms became more. All because the British simply stopped to consider themselves full, to notice the problem and, sootvetvetstvetnogo, at least somehow to fight it.

Ignoring health problems has become “justified”.

Being obviously overweight is always a problem for our body. It has a negative impact on the musculoskeletal system and leads to metabolic disorders. And according to the statistics of the World Health Organization, mortality from cardiovascular diseases among obese people is growing every year. Of course, some people have extra pounds as a result of a serious illness or injury – this is a separate case, when it is simply impossible to fight the flaw. But others are faced with fullness because of an improper lifestyle, which includes unhealthy food, exorbitant consumption of food, addictions and a minimum of activity. All of this is due to a person’s personal decision, and there is little positive in such a choice.

Another red flag is rashes on the face and body. Bodypositive teaches to treat them with tolerance, and that’s right! But people suffering from such problems should realize that they do not appear out of nowhere. Acne, dermatitis and other diseases – this is only an external reaction of the body to internal disorders, which can not be ignored.

Appeared aggression towards thin people

This phenomenon concerns not all representatives of bodypositive, but as a fact exists. Although initially the current instills tolerance to people with any form, at some points it turns into aggression towards the excessively thin. Such offensive nicknames, such as “dreisch”, “board” and “skin and bones”, hit self-esteem no worse than exactly the opposite of the meaning of the words. And girls with a pronounced relief of muscles can be called not phytonyashka, which sounds ironic, and muzhopodnoy – already rude.

How to avoid harmful extremes?

All of the above extremes are harmful both for human health and for an adequate understanding of the nature of bodypositive. To avoid them and understand the essence of the social current, it is important to adhere to simple principles.

Listen to your body and its signals

The movement calls for accepting and respecting any body, but does not ask to ignore real problems. In order to identify them, it is important to listen to your own body and be more sensitive to its signals. If weight – excessive or, on the contrary, too low – begins to give you discomfort and painful sensations, and develops an unhealthy attitude towards food, it is necessary to consult a specialist and start acting. The same goes for all kinds of diseases that affect your appearance: you don’t need to be ashamed of them or despise them, you need to treat them.

Respect the right to choose

Anything – both someone else’s and your own. This is one of the most important laws of bodypositivity, without which the movement would have no power. Of course, you do not have to like others, just as they do not have to like you, but it is unacceptable in any situation to resort to insults and support outright bullying, which breeds violence.