Balancing Health and Body Positivity

by Arielle Juliette

Thank you to the reader who asked the question in our most recent survey: “How do you balance actual health with body positivity (i.e. when your doctor says you are overweight or have high blood pressure)?”

So, this is a complex question, and the answer to it is pretty counter-cultural. To start, let's cover two things that tend to be associated: body positivity and Health At Every Size.

*These are my opinions based on several years' worth of in-depth research into books, websites, Instagram feeds, private groups, and podcasts by dietitians and doctors. This content is for informational purposes only, and isn't a substitute for individual medical or mental health advice. 

Body positivity looks a lot different now than when it first began. The movement was originally started by women of color in the largest and most marginalized bodies. It was a movement of protest, a way of saying "I deserve to take up space", and demanding equal treatment and respect as those whose bodies who more closely align to the cultural norm- namely, people who are white, straight, thin, able-bodied, young, and cisgender. Since its inception, it's been co-opted by corporations to seem trendy and continue to sell more products. The message has become distorted, and has set "loving your body" up to yet another unattainable standard. Who loves their body all the time? No one, and that is totally okay. I honestly don't resonate with the term "body positivity" anymore, as it still keeps us focused on our bodies and less on how to live our most fulfilling lives. I prefer the term "body liberation". Jes Baker (AKA TheMilitantBaker) says it best: 

"Liberation is freedom from all outside expectations, even our own. Liberation is not having to love your body all the time. Liberation is not asking permission to be included in society’s ideal of beauty. Liberation is bucking the concept of beauty as currency altogether. Liberation is recognizing the systemic issues that surround us... Liberation is personally giving ourselves permission to live life."

There is a misconception that accepting ourselves as we are and finding peace with our bodies is synonymous with becoming "unhealthy". On the contrary, the movement known as Health At Every Size (HAES), a movement heavily intertwined with body positivity, is about finding respect for natural human body diversity and pursuing health behaviors that actually make us healthier if that is something that is important to you.  HAES focuses on weight inclusivity, things like sleeping and resting enough, having a loving support network, not smoking, eating produce, joyful movement, and finding ways to end weight stigma, rather than focusing on reaching arbitrary standards of weight (click here to see BMI myths busted) and physical health (see the bizarre history of the Presidential Fitness Test here).

So in short, body positivity/liberation and health don't really have anything to do with one another. Body positivity- the real root of it, anyway- is about being respected as a human regardless of what we look like or how our bodies function. People who are unhealthy deserve that, too. I have fibromyalgia, which technically makes me unhealthy; that doesn't mean I don't deserve to treat my body with respect and love and have others treat my body with respect and consideration. The same goes for someone with multiple sclerosis, cancer, you get the picture. Health shouldn't be a prerequisite for being respected.

I could stop there, but there is a deeper part to this question, I feel- what happens if you decide to stop pursuing weight loss, but the doctor tells you are too fat, or diagnoses you with an issue to which the only solution being offered is weight loss? This is the part where things are going to get a bit more radical, so bear with me or feel free to stop here. 

It's important to keep in mind that weight stigma runs rampant in our society and that doctors and medical staff are just as much a part of that culture as the rest of us. While clearly many doctors are trying to do their best, unfortunately when it comes to treating patients in larger bodies, there is a lot of work to be done (see this article for examples of ways weight stigma has seriously effected patients). Too often, people who need medical treatment like antibiotics for strep throat are just told to lose weight- and again, remember that these recommendations are based on BMI, which has been utterly debunked many times. It's important to note that while yes, many short-term studies show the benefits of weight loss, this is not true for studies that continue on past a couple months or years. 

Longer studies  show that at least 90% of people will gain all intentionally lost weight back and sometimes more within 2-5 years because our bodies are highly skilled in protecting us from famine. There's just simply no other medical treatment out there being routinely recommended that will only work for a few years and then fail in the vast majority of people (especially for one which patients are blamed for the failure, instead of the medical intervention that is at fault). For many of the illnesses commonly associated with body size, such as high blood pressure, heart disease, or arthritis, there are strategies for managing these illnesses that have nothing to do with weight because these are conditions that happen to thin people, too. So while it's absolutely a person's prerogative to decide to pursue weight loss, there's just not a lot of sound long-term evidence to support why doctors turn to this solution so readily. It never hurts to ask, "what would treatments would you offer a thin person for this issue?"

As I mentioned, it's a radical answer that is counter to so much of the information that's out there, but I hope anyone reading this won't be afraid to do your own research and advocate for yourself if this resonates with you.  People in larger bodies deserve better healthcare than just to be told "lose weight". 

I waited to write this article until January for a reason- 'tis the season to be bombarded by messages that will tell you your #1 goal right now should be trying to change your body, and you know what? Dance Life is one business in the fitness industry that is not here to tell you that. No matter how your body moves or looks, you are welcome at Dance Life with NO expectation or pressure to change yourself down the road. The size, shape, or color of your body or your ability level doesn't change the level of respect and consideration you'll receive here. We all deserve to pursue happiness and peace in our own bodies right now, and we exist to do more than be attractive and pay the rent. Corporations will pay millions, if not billions of dollars this month in advertisements to convince you otherwise, while we are going to spend tens, possibly dozens of dollars this month trying to convince you that you deserve to dance and have fun if you want to 🙂 When you need a break from the ludicrousness, head on over to Dance Life- the community is always waiting with open arms.