2020 was a big year for learning. Many of us learned about the unconscious privileges we have, and biases that we may have held simply because of the way society presents different groups of people. The body-positive/body inclusive movement has been around for a while now but it wasn’t until 2020 that we started to get a better understanding of the elements of this movement.
To get us started, let’s look at what this movement is not.
- It is not a movement that promotes unhealthy behaviours.
- It is also not a movement that ignores the harmful health consequences of morbid obesity and extreme thin-ness.
- This is not a movement that tells you that if you are on the extreme ends of the weight spectrum that you should never try to achieve a physiologically healthy body weight.
For too long people have looked at the body positivity/body inclusivity movement as a way to justify unhealthy behaviours. This is not what this is trying to achieve, it has nothing to do with health, and everything to do with our perceptions of different bodies – in the many forms we see them. There are a few aspects of the movement that we will now break down for you.
Fat-Phobia
One of the most prominent aspects of the movement is the effort to address fat-phobia. You may not realize it, but fat-phobia is deeply ingrained in societal norms. People who are overweight (by western society’s standards) are assumed to be lazy, sedentary, over-eaters, who don’t work out or don’t know how to workout. The other side of fat-phobia is our own individual fear of becoming overweight.
This idea that to be fat is to be less-than is something that really needs to be untrained from all of our minds. Just because someone carries more weight on their body does not mean that they are lazy. Being overweight does not always equate to living off of fast-food. And being overweight does not automatically mean someone doesn’t work out or doesn’t know how to workout.
Trigger warning: mention of childhood abuse and trauma in the following paragraph.
If someone is carrying more weight on their bodies it could be due to a number of factors. It has long been reported that women who experienced childhood physical trauma or abuse are more likely to be obese as they grow up. Because society sees overweight people as undesirable, these women will use the extra weight as a form of armour to protect themselves against that type of trauma or abuse.
Being overweight has also been linked to genetics and is cited as a socioeconomic issue. If you are born into a family with a history of obesity, then you are more likely to be overweight. If you are born into a family that does not have as much money, you may have also grown up on inexpensive, processed foods because that’s all that you could afford. Having access to things like gyms, personal trainers, and dietitians is a luxury.
Science has also observed that, in the western and developed world, we are living in an obesogenic environment. This means that everything around us encourages a lifestyle that is conducive to becoming obese. So if someone is not able to afford access to personal trainers, or dietitians, then the only information they have is what comes from their environment.
The moral of the story here is if someone is overweight, it does not automatically mean that they are lazy, over-eaters who don’t go to the gym. There are so many other reasons for someone to carry extra weight, and it is only doctors with a complete health history who should be advising someone to make lifestyle changes.
Here’s what you can do:
If you catch yourself making assumptions about someone who is overweight, try to stop and think about all of the other possibilities that could have led to that. Remember that we are all human and that all of life’s adventures can affect each of us in different ways.
Also remember that if someone says that they are fat, the next sentence should not be “no, you’re beautiful” or anything similar to that. Someone saying they are fat does not mean that they are saying they are unattractive. Instead, it can be viewed as an objective statement – the same as someone saying they are tall or have brown eyes. Being tall or having brown eyes is not directly linked to their attractiveness, and neither is someone saying they are fat or thin.
Is It Okay to Want to Lose Weight?
One of the biggest misconceptions about the movement is that it discourages people from wanting to lose weight if they are overweight. This is simply not true.
What the movement is actually saying is that each of us has the right to love our bodies at whatever shape, colour, size, or weight. If someone decides they would like to lose weight, it is out of love and appreciation for their body.
The weight-loss industry loves telling us that losing weight will give us the body of our dreams and that once we have lost weight we can “finally feel confident!” As if the weight we currently are is not worthy of confidence and appreciation.
It is okay to want to lose weight. The body-positive/inclusive movement simply wants to give you the freedom to love yourself and feel confident before losing weight. Instead of weight-loss being a high-pressure effort, you get to enjoy the process every step of the way.
Thin-ness is the Ideal
On the other end of the spectrum is the idea that thin-ness is the ideal body-type. Praising someone who is thin, or who is losing weight can be harmful. For some people, getting attention for thin-ness can trigger deeper psychological issues.
There is far too much pressure from society for people to look a certain way. This pressure affects some more than others and can lead to life-threatening psychological disorders. It is best to not make comments about someone’s size, or what they are eating unless invited. You have no idea what that person has done to look that way, or what is going through their mind when they decide to eat something.
This Movement is About Acceptance
We have visited both ends of the spectrum in the body positive/body inclusive movement. It is also important to note that the body-positive/body inclusive movement is not just limited to weight. It also helps us understand bodies with disabilities and deformities without making assumptions. But the main message is simply about acceptance. As a society, we need to do better at accepting people of all different shapes, sizes, abilities. We have to do better to make every body type feel included – not just the ones that are deemed normal or fit the beauty standards of that time.
On that note, it is also important to recognize that the bodies that do fit those standards are included in this as well. No one is trying to shame them, or make them feel like their hard work is no longer something to praise. Having a low body-fat percentage, and visible, large muscles takes a lot of hard work and many hours of learning and training to achieve. This movement is not meant to devalue or discredit hard work. It is trying to eliminate hierarchies, and give everyone a chance to feel confident and loved in the body they have.
Our Role in the Body Positivity/Body Inclusivity Movement
As personal training professionals, our job is to help educate and guide people towards their health goals. We use our education and training to provide you with individualized and specific information and programming. These programs will help you understand how your body adapts to lifestyle changes and can be optimized for a long, independent life with limited health complications. And yes – this sometimes includes helping people lose weight.
Most importantly our job to help you realize what your body is capable of, and to appreciate that potential. Every single body – thin or overweight, short or tall, muscle-y or lean, able-bodied or disabled – is capable of achieving amazing things.
Free Form Fitness has always been a judgement-free facility because we know that everyone who comes to us comes with a different set of life experiences. Each individual who chooses personal training has made the decision to ask for professional help to get them to their goals for a specific reason. We hope that when you train with us you feel accepted as you are and you feel supported on your journey to achieving your full health potential.
