User:Swizzlesalt/Body Neutrality

Body Neutrality is a social movement that is centered around the acceptance of one's body for the abilities it is capable of doing, regardless of physical appearance. The movement was born out of a criticism of body positivity, claiming it focused too much on self-love and physical beauty. Body neutrality encourages decentering the significance one places on their physical body, as there is not something inherently good or bad about the way the human body looks and functions.

Origins
While it is not entirely clear, many believe that the origins of the term Body Neutrality came from a wellness program in Vermont, led by former college fitness instructor Anne Poirier in 2015 referred to as Body Neutrality Workshop.

Criticism of Body Positivity
The movement was born out of a criticism of Body Positivity, as many felt the message of self love for the physical body was unrealistic. The movement aims to expand the societal beauty standard, as opposed to getting rid of them all together. The movement has also faced criticism for being exclusionary, only truly validating certain body types. In recent years body positivity has also been highly commodified, used by brands and influencers in order to promote themselves and their products.

Social Media
Body Neutrality began gaining traction within social media discourse in around 2015, primarily on social media outlets such as Instagram, Tumblr, Twitter. In recent years movement has grown in popularity exponentially, largely due to exposure on the app TikTok. Fashion bloggers Gabi Gregg and Stephanie Yeboah are two women who can credited for helping popularize the movement.

Criticism
The Body Neutrality movement has faced criticism for being ableist, as the movement centers around appreciating your body for the functions it is able to preform, ignoring how this may be exclusionary for people with disabilities and chronic illnesses.