To wonder if ‘body positivity’ has gone too far?

[WildUmberScroller]

While I fully accept supporting everyone for who they are, sometimes I feel like the body positivity movement is promoting unhealthy lifestyles. AIBU to feel like there should be limits?

I completely agree! Campaigns should recognise all body types, including those that are healthy at different sizes, without implying that one must be a certain size to be a “real woman.” I really dislike that rhetoric. It’s wild to me how many women perpetuate it too.

Yeah, but people aren't celebrating how fantastic it is to smoke, and take drugs,

The users themselves tend to though, isn’t that the same for an obese influencer? Or are people getting inspired by these videos and deliberately gaining weight?

And as for the Dove campaign ... They say 'DOVE is for REAL women' and then most of the women are size 18, or very obese. WTF, so you can't be a real woman unless you're fat?! Do me a favour! How rude!

Thats not what they are saying though & they don’t only use obese women. I used to model, most people don’t look like me, are the same height or the same body type as me in the wider population.

But do you think those discussions have to happen in the comments of every post a fat person makes?

The vast, vast majority of body positivity content I see on social media says “hi, I’m me and this is me being happy”. It doesn’t say anything about the relative value or health status of fat people. And the comments are full of people raging about “promoting unhealthy lifestyles” which seems to be code for “fat people deserve to be miserable”.

A PP said, had everyone stopped trying to lose weight?
That's interesting, I heard that ladies in the fifties were on laxatives etc...
How about not getting to an unhealthy size at the first place, then there would be nothing to promote.

So the message should be 'beauty comes in all shapes and sizes" but equally, "don't celebrate beauty in bigger bodies, because that's unhealthy, and promotes obesity".

The messages normalise overweight and obesity as being 'ok' though

We are getting bigger and bigger as a nation, not smaller. The more of something you see around you, the less unusual it seems.

Im quite surprised when I see people smoking now. Although Ive always been a non smoker who hated cigarettes around me and in society, in the 70s, it was hard to find someone who didnt smoke. It was expected/normal/ an every day occurance.

Now it is socially unacceptable.

They say 'DOVE is for REAL women' and then most of the women are size 18, or very obese. WTF, so you can't be a real woman unless you're fat?!

Some actual Dove photos..

She has indeed got a nice face, and is quite attractive, but objectively she is too big/too heavy, and THIS is the kind of thing some of us are on about on here. Celebrating being obese. She may look OK, and feel OK, but I don't believe she is 100% healty. Same with Lizzo, and other women/people who are obese.

Well yeah, it’s challenging for anyone to meet all those health standards perfectly. I think the goal should be about encouraging healthier habits rather than creating unrealistic expectations. It’s more about finding a balance and promoting wellbeing within the context of each person’s life and circumstances.

https://www.dove.com/uk/stories/about-dove/breaking-down-narrow-beauty-stereotypes.html

https://www.liveoakcommunications.com/post/why-dove-s-real-beauty-campaign-was-so-successful

I think you're onto something @WildUmberScroller

there's a dichotomy and dividing line between body shape acceptance (a good thing) and the converse of minimising the health risks of being significantly overweight (diabetes being one example, as once you get diabetes you can't reverse it, you can only control it).

Well yeah, it’s challenging for anyone to meet all those health standards perfectly. I think the goal should be about encouraging healthier habits rather than creating unrealistic expectations. It’s more about finding a balance and promoting wellbeing within the context of each person’s life and circumstances.

I agree but isn’t acceptance a part of that?

Do you remember posters everywhere in the 80s about smoking, imagine that about overeating and being overweight.

There's a lot of overly defensive people on here.

I know what you mean OP. Morbidly obese curvy women who promote the idea that there's nothing wrong with their size under the guise of body positivity.

It's unhealthy and unproductive.

Yes totally. Being obese is not a positive thing and we shouldn’t encourage it.

Does anyone using phrases like 'glamorising obesity' and 'promoting obesity' really believe that people watching fat-positive influencers will deliberately gain weight to attain an obese body size? I highly doubt it! No one actually thinks it's glamourous or aspirational to be obese and no one is striving to attain obesity - the way that people do glamorise thinness and struggle to achieve it. This content just exists to make fat people feel a bit better about themselves, more confident and happier in their own skin.

By the way, feeling good about yourself is more likely to help you live a healthier and happier lifestyle. I know there are people who believe that shaming fat people is the only way they'll lose weight and that if we deny them nice clothes and a chance at self-esteem, they'll be motivated to get thin but truly it works the opposite way. If you hate yourself, you don't treat yourself well. Increased feelings of shame in fat people have been shown to increase weight gain. It makes the problem worse, not better.

So no, body positivity hasn't gone too far- a lot of people are still severely lacking in empathy and understanding so I'd say it hasn't gone far enough.

And the reason we are getting bigger, is because we work more in sedate jobs. We are surrounded by unhealthy food. We are busier than ever with children doing more than they have ever done in terms of activities, convenience food is everywhere. Sugar is in savoury food. These are just some examples. There are so many more reasons to people getting bigger than just "fat people on line told me to get fat".

@LikeWhoUsesTypewritersAnyway she is a plus size model so I don’t think anyone is unaware she is bigger? And whilst she is big she actually doesn’t have a massive waist which is a danger. But her appearing in Victoria’s Secret isn’t celebrating obesity it’s just representation & marketing. Should she not be allowed to model?

Im always at a disadvantage on these threads as I often have no idea who these people are so Im sorry that I cant comment on this person

The difference is that any programme/tag line/sound bite as you say about being slim/skinny (whatever term you want to use) is immediately jumped on as being disordered/leading to MH issues/orthorexia et etc

Someone using a tag line/sound bite in the other direction, celebrating overeating and being overweight is met with 'you go girl', love your body blah blah blah (never about men though, no one thinks a fat wobbly man gyrating around is a good thing

Both being underweight and overweight carry some health risks, the unfortunate reality is that being overweight carries more health risk and is impacting on us individually but also socially, just like smoking did.

Agreed

Obesity is as bad for you as smoking. We shouldn't be encouraging it.

@soupfiend

Are you saying that would be a good idea?

That’s a fair point. However, I think discussions about health risks associated with extreme obesity can also happen in everyday conversations and social media without being labelled as fat-shaming. It’s about finding a way to talk about health that feels inclusive and constructive, rather than stigmatising. Open dialogue in public forums can help raise awareness while still promoting body positivity.

A discussion about the health risks of being overweight isn’t fat shaming. It’s pointing out that there are conditions that are exacerbated by carrying too much weight and those conditions require medication, possibly hospitalisation and therefore cost the NHS money.

Of course there are genetic conditions that make it more difficult to maintain a healthy weight, but the fact that so many overweight people now are looking to buy weight loss injections, indicates that they are not feeling positive about their bodies and want to weigh less.