What Is Body Neutrality, And Why Is It Important?

Body positivity is evident to anyone who has spent time on Instagram recently. You’ve seen the hashtags and postings. Perhaps you’ve seen the before-and-after photographs as well. The ones where the before picture shows a slender woman in exercise gear or a bikini and the after photo shows the same thin woman slumped over with a visible belly.

Maybe you’ve seen photographs with the hashtag #BodyPostivity and wondered, “Is this what body positivism is? Is it intended for me? Or them?” In reality, the answer is a little more complex. According to qualified personal trainers and fitness professionals, the most important thing to remember is that body positivity is not the same as good body image.

In other words, body positivity emphasizes the importance of underrepresented bodies and advocates that all bodies are amazing. Having a positive body image is often misunderstood as being body positive.