Body neutrality: what is it and when was it born
The natural is in fashion and movements such as body neutrality demonstrate it. This aesthetic trend, just like body positive, invites us to give visibility to real and not perfect bodies. As you well know, we find ourselves in an era of constant change, of social inclusion, of personal acceptance and of making a call to real beauty. The 21st century is marked by the rebirth of feminism and by the struggle to dethrone the idealized and perfect beauty that, for years, fashions and brands have imposed. The physical demand that has been reflected in women has given rise to movements such as body neutrality, through this rebirth the aim is to make real bodies visible, but without the need to stigmatize it, but seeing it as something neutral, accepting the body as it is, without having to force ourselves to love him for it,
What is body neutrality and when was it born?
This trend seeks to give visibility to real bodies without the need to praise the body or stigmatize it, simply treating it as something neutral. In other words, body neutrality wants you to accept your body as it is, without forcing yourself to love it completely at all times or punishing it for not meeting the expectations that you or other external agents, such as brands, may set for yourself. On the other hand, this movement emerges as an alternative to body positive, which invites you to love your body above all things. Body neutrality, on the other hand, does not seek that people always feel good about their body, because it is not always possible to be, therefore, it aims to distance us from that pressure that can frustrate people. Naturalness and neutrality are the mottos of this trend.
Do you wonder when body neutrality was born? Well, the birth is very recent and it’s just been a few years that people talk about it naturally. In 2017 the personal trainer Anne Poirier started using it in her programs, claiming the fact that we will never be 100% satisfied with our appearance. In Spain he is championed by Tania Llasera, one of the greatest defenders of body neutrality, although she is not the only known face of her. One of the great promoters of the movement is the activist, actress and presenter Jameela Jamil from the United Kingdom.
The change in the perception of the female body has opened up a multitude of possibilities for other types of beauty that, for example, have put an end to the traditional Victoria’s Secret parade. Paying an ode to women: fat, skinny, with or without breasts, with moles, stretch marks or cellulite, it’s all very well, but if one day you don’t love your body as you should according to body positive, your subconscious can cause you damage at a mental health, such as stress, anxiety, or depression. For this reason, body neutrality wants to promote the idea that body neutrality is possible when feeling good goes beyond looking good.
How to practice body neutrality
The body neutrality is a movement that pretends that you treat your body as something neutral, without praising or punishing it. Because there will be days when you will accept yourself more or less, days when you will see your complexes more than others and nothing happens. Because self-love can change depending on how you feel from day to day.
To practice body neutrality and get rid of frustration and the feeling of failure when you can’t feel completely comfortable with your body, you should follow these mantras:
- I am more than my appearance.
- My appearance is just one of the many facets of what makes me who I am.
- My values do not depend on my appearance. I am worthy of myself for many other reasons.
- My appearance will change throughout my life.
- Sometimes I find myself more attractive and sometimes less. No problem, it’s okay.
- I don’t need to always feel attractive to be happy or have a better life. I can be happy in many other ways.
The idea of body neutrality is to try to change the way we relate to ourselves, seeking a balance between negativity and body positivity that has gained relevance in recent years and can also be frustrating. The good practice of body neutrality is to stop directing ourselves negatively towards our body, such as fatphobia or body shame, stop denying it and stop fighting to have to love it all the time, if there are times when you don’t feel it. Thus, the idea is to move from positivism and negativism to a more tolerant and neutral status.
Differences between body positivity and body neutrality
Body positivity and body neutrality are two movements that aim to make body diversity visible. However, although they may be similar in their intention to renounce established beauty canons and stereotypes, both trends are different.
While body positivity focuses on the body, since its premise is to accept and love it with all its virtues and defects, body neutrality aims to address a much more neutral thought: the body is the medium that allows us to be present in the body. world and live experiences, but our body is not the only thing that gives us value. For body neutrality, you cannot always be satisfied with your physique, it is also impossible to love it 100% at all times and, precisely this, can end up generating frustration, because loving your own body also generates a process of self-criticism if it is not reached. to the desired expectation.
The basic difference between both thoughts is found in their motto:
- Body positive: “My body is beautiful and that makes me feel good.”
- Body neutrality: “My physique should not influence how I feel.”
Neither of the two tendencies is better than the other, since you must be the one to choose which thought works best to be good with yourself. Whether you love your body as it is or not, it should not influence your emotional state. Both ideas are an effective alternative to the fight against beauty canons and a good method for making body diversity visible and accepting it, being more inclusive and tolerant.
