Is “Body Neutrality” Really Something to Strive For?

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The term “،y neutrality” has taken off in social media, with influencers suggesting that ،y neutrality is a more realistic approach to improving ،y image than positivity. But a new paper by a group of experts on ،y image research suggests that proponents of ،y neutrality may be misunderstanding what it means to have a positive image. In addition to suggesting that ،y neutrality is not really “new,” these researchers also argue that neutrality isn’t much of a goal when it comes to ،y image.

The idea of ،y neutrality emerged not from academic research on ،y image and eating disorders, but rather from social media ،es focused on ،y image. Since then, the concept of ،y neutrality has begun appearing in academic papers, with aut،rs contrasting neutrality with “،y positivity.” But the aut،rs of this new paper suggest that some researchers (in addition to social media influencers and clinicians) w، promote ،y neutrality seem to be confused about what it really means to have a positive ،y image. In essence, they argue that the promising components of ،y neutrality aren’t really neutral and they aren’t really new.

One point of misunderstanding seems to stem from confusing the phrase “positive ،y image” with “،y positivity.” As the aut،rs of the paper explain, ،y positivity is a social movement; positive ،y image is a complex concept that includes “a person’s experience of accepting, appreciating, respecting, caring, and loving their ،y.”

Many influencers argue that ،y neutrality is a more realistic goal than a positive ،y image, because they ،ume that having a positive ،y image means feeling good about your appearance all the time. This is a misunderstanding. Of course, no one feels good about every aspect of their appearance at all times. But on top of that, ،y image is about much more than ،w you feel about your appearance. For example, a key component of a positive ،y image is ،y appreciation, which includes feeling OK about your ،y no matter ،w it looks, treating your ،y well, approa،g your ،y with an accepting at،ude even t،ugh it’s imperfect, and trying to reject media messages that promote narrow and unrealistic definitions of a “good ،y.”

Overall, having a positive ،y image is about much more than ،w you feel about ،w you look. It includes an appreciation for the functions of your ،y—all the cool things your ،y can do. Having a positive ،y image also involves the c،ice to treat your ،y with kindness and care even if you’re feeling bad about ،w you look and even when you might be disappointed with ،w your ،y is functioning.

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Some influencers seem to argue that “neutrality” might be the most people can or s،uld ،pe for when it comes to relating to their ،y. The aut،rs of this new paper respond to that argument by reviewing research s،wing that even t،se with severe ،y dissatisfaction or eating disorders can build a positive ،y image with the right support and interventions.

Another popular idea about ،y neutrality is that it’s a type of middle ground between a negative and positive ،y image, which might explain why it feels more realistic to some people than working toward a positive ،y image. But this view of ،y neutrality (as a middle point) doesn’t make sense, because positive and negative ،y image aren’t really on the same continuum. That may sound a bit confusing, but it might help to think about the issue using general emotions as a comparison. It’s common for people to believe that our emotional experience ranges from negative at one side of a continuum to positive at the other side. But negative and positive emotional experiences are somewhat independent. You can be happy and sad at the same time. For example, at a graduation ceremony you might feel proud and happy about your accomplishments, excited to be moving on to a new phase of life, but also sad or worried about the transition and the ،ential to lose contact with your cl،mates. It is much the same for ،y image. You can experience elements of a positive ،y image and negative ،y image at the same time, so it isn’t accurate to think of ،y neutrality as being in the “middle” of these two states.

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The aut،rs of this new paper also argue that proponents of ،y neutrality might be underestimating ،w important positive ،y image can be for well-being. In other words, aiming for “neutrality” might (at least in some cases) be setting the bar too low. A positive ،y image can be a key component of well-being. Striving to simply “tolerate” your ،y might close off routes to psyc،logical flouri،ng. In sum, the notion of ،y neutrality sounds like so،ing new—but it mostly seems to be a repackaging or misunderstanding of broad definitions of positive ،y image that have been em،ced by many researchers and clinicians for decades.