Body Neutrality

Kirstie Alley died at 71 of cancer this week. She was an American actress and is best known for her role in the sitcom Cheers. She was a beautiful woman who struggled with weight gain and loss publicly. She became a Jenny Craig spokesperson after losing 75 lbs. but apparently regained the weight. Ms. Alley poked fun at weight issues by developing and staring in the sitcom “Fat Actress”. She was uncomfortable in her body. “I didn’t like the way I looked. My body had gotten really weak. I felt like I couldn’t move.”

Contrast Ms. Alley’s story with Lizzo’s. Melissa Viviane Jefferson, known professionally as Lizzo, is an American singer, rapper, and flutist. She is large, loud, and proud – very vocal about body positivity. She is an advocate for overweight people. The body-positive movement urges people to love their bodies no matter what they look like, and body neutrality focuses on what your body can do for you. A cornerstone of body neutrality is avoiding telling someone how to view their body.

It is not our place to judge another’s body. Body positivity is a social movement focused on the acceptance of all bodies, regardless of size, shape, skin tone, gender, and physical abilities. It challenges present-day beauty standards. Lizzo has every right to be happy with herself. She is a highly successful artist who champions diversity and inclusion. Her mother made a tribute to Lizzo by saying she “has shown us all that we don’t have to conform to anyone’s standards in order to be happy, to be creative, and to feel worthy.” Go, girl. You be you.

I applaud Lizzo for daring to be herself. That is not easy, given the American standards of beauty. Neither fat-shaming nor skinny-shaming is acceptable, and all body types can and should be celebrated. All bodies are worthy, and one’s perception of health looks different to different people.

So, should we give up on dieting? Not necessarily, but we should give up judgment and shame. Stigmas are not helpful to anyone. In fact, insecurity easily leads to giving up on weight loss aspirations. I believe we can strive for radical acceptance of our bodies while we make healthy choices.