WHAT is actually body positivity?

Body positivity was never meant to be about tearing others down. Its roots are in liberation and inclusivity, not comparison. It started as a movement to challenge the idea that only certain bodies deserve respect, visibility, or care — especially for people in larger bodies, disabled bodies, and bodies of color that were often erased or stigmatized.

Somewhere along the way, parts of the conversation online got twisted into:

“If you love your body, you have to criticize others who diet or work out.”
But that’s not body positivity — that’s just another form of judgment.

True body positivity (and its close cousin, body neutrality) means:

• Every body deserves respect, regardless of size, ability, gender, or appearance.
• You can pursue health goals without shame — or not pursue them at all.
• Loving your body doesn’t mean never wanting to change it; it means your worth isn’t dependent on that change.

In short: it’s not “your body vs. mine,” it’s all bodies deserve peace.