“Have we become so obsessed with the idea of loudly celebrating all bodies that we’ve lost sight of the quiet power and purposeful potential of simply normalising different body shapes and leaving it at that? I guess this brings me to the realisation that this is a journey that society – and brands – are on. The biggest challenge still lies ahead, to set aside our obsession with bodily form and beauty and the inherent connection of the two to our identities as people.That’s a huge, audacious goal, tied as it is to a complex history over millennia.”–Helen James

It is a huge goal, one that I am not entirely sure can even be done. Is “body neutrality” really possible, or is it just the latest buzz phrase in place of “body positivity?” How much are we biologically and sociologically “wired” to care about our appearance and compare ourselves to others?

I hope to help answer these questions as part of an independent research project I’m doing. Stay tuned for more. In the meantime, I would love to hear your thoughts!

#bodyneutrality

#bodyimage