Everything is lovely in moderation. Parents tell their kids that they cannot watch too much television, and coaches tell players to let their bodies recover after continuous practice. when is the nation going to tell people that even food has its limits when it comes to health?
What does it mean to be body positive? According to bodypositive.org “[they] are creating a world in which people are liberated from self-hatred, value their beauty and identity, and use their energy and intellect to make positive changes in their own lives and in their communities.”
It is hard to love fully when you are unable to love yourself, but why would society promote an illness that takes the lives of over 300,000 Americans each year, according to Surgeon General?
The movement started as a way for individuals to learn how to feel comfortable in their own skin, yet companies such as Dove, Aerie and Old Navy use the body positive movement as a selling point and a way for them to push merchandise.
When someone who struggles with obesity decides that they would rather love their bodies and use this movement as a way to avoid getting healthy, they make a life-altering choice.
Americans have chosen to live a life in which they forget about the decline in their health and now it is time to understand a few things. Loving themselves is the first step; if they decide not to change for that love, however, they must learn how to love the high blood pressure, sleep apnea, osteoarthritis, fatty liver disease, kidney disease, heart disease, stroke, Type 2 diabetes and certain types of cancer that are bound to follow their decision.
The nation pays for commercials and billboards to bring awareness to help fight the increase of suicide which is the 10th leading cause of death in the United States as said by American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.
In the last fews years you were unable to watch a television show without the learning a new side effect of tobacco use. The death rate for tobacco users is three times higher than those who never touched a tobacco product, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, commonly known as the CDC.
Commercials which bring awareness to the negative side of harmful activities are no longer advertised as heavily because of the new body positive movement. People encourage their friends to break their diets regularly because dieting has its own negative connotation now. Losing weight is no longer considered an acceptable goal; “to be healthy” is better. No one admits that losing weight is important for this.
The movement claims they want to “make positive changes in their own lives” but what is able to come from the health issues obesity encourages?
When someone struggles with obesity they are no longer able to live a full life, and at a certain point they will be seeking help for things such as showering or getting out of bed.
The nation is supporting a harmful illness which affects over one-third of Americans, according to the CDC. When you are struggling with obesity you are a part of $147 billion annual medical costs in comorbid diseases and conditions.
It is a beautiful thing to love your body. It is even more beautiful to be healthy as you do it.
