A common misconception is that by saying “I love my body” you are “body positive.” Let’s be clear: Saying “I love my body” is beautiful and very important but creates a very broad reach in a community meant for marginalized bodies.
The body positive movement was created for fat bodies, people of color, differently abled bodies, the LGBTQ+ community and bodies that have not been widely accepted and shown in the media. With the rise of social media in 2012, this became a popular hashtag and safe space for these bodies to exist, thrive and feel accepted. This is a huge reason I was able to find the confidence to share my journey as well and feel I had a tribe of like-minded individuals on my side, rooting for me, even though we had never met. To me, this has been one of the most beautiful aspects of social media. As a plus-size fashion influencer and body acceptance advocate (@eatthecaketoo for those who are curious), the topic of body positivity is one that I am very passionate about … mostly because of people’s misuse of the movement.
Body Positive: From Movement to Ad Tag Line
Fast forward to 2019 and the term “body positive” has been turned into an advertising tool and oversaturated (and dangerous) hashtag for everything from diet products to the most privileged-bodied influencers.
I remember sitting in a self-love seminar a year ago listening to a “body positive” panel of women and shaking with anger. I was angry because the room was full of vulnerable individuals who had come to feel safe, supported and empowered. Yet in front of us sat four thin, beautiful, privileged bodies. This is in no way a knock to these women or thin women but if you’ve followed along this far, you understand these are not the voices of the body positivity community. When it came time for questions, you can bet my hand shot up first! In a shaky (frustrated) voice I did my best to politely share the history of the body positive movement so that at the very least, the other marginalized bodies in the room knew the truth.
I share this as an example of how watered down this movement has become. Again, let me clarify that we certainly want everyone to love their bodies, but for us who feel completely unseen and underrepresented, we deserve a space that is specific to our shared struggle. This is just no longer the case.
If you follow #bodypositive on Instagram as I do, you have witnessed the extreme shift in the last two years. Now I see fitness models, extremely thin women, diet teas, nutrition supplements and bodybuilders coming up on my feed under a hashtag that used to make me feel empowered, not less than. When a primary goal of the body positive movement was to challenge unrealistic beauty and body standards, this feels counterproductive to say the least.
When we have companies using this hashtag in a very calculated way, the movement has lost its magic. The wave of body inclusivity is upon us, which is great, but we need to be very mindful of the companies that are really here to empower us, and those that are merely here to profit off of our insecurities. When you have young people and individuals desperate to feel accepted and find some peace with their own bodies, this new wave of body positively is extremely dangerous and toxic. My hope for these worthy, amazing bodies is to find fat positive/body acceptance influencers who are not just here for a trending hashtag, but are here to make real change.
Here are some of my favorites:
https://www.instagram.com/effyourbeautystandards/
https://www.instagram.com/_the_b_word_/
https://www.instagram.com/jazzmynejay/
https://www.instagram.com/tessholliday/
https://www.instagram.com/bodyposipanda/
https://www.instagram.com/thevagaggle/
Keep fighting the good fight for all of us marginalized bodies. Know that you are beyond worthy of loving yourself and your body just as it is today, and don’t forget to Eat The Cake Too!
XO, Carmen Rene
P.S. I’d love to hear your ideas on this subject. Leave your comments below. You can reach me at: Carmenrene@Curvicality.com. And don’t forget to follow me on Instagram for more body love: @eatthecaketoo.
