“In our image-driven society, it is very important to embrace the body God has given us even if we have added to it,” Jacqueline Harris, author, said. In today’s society, body positivity is heavily promoted. But, is it also promoting obesity?
If someone is continuously told that they are beautiful no matter how much they weigh, they will typically start worrying about their appearance less and less, which is great. However, the health and safety of people should be America’s top priority.
71.6% of adult Americans are overweight or obese according to cdc.gov. Being overweight can cause type two diabetes, high blood pressure, certain types of cancer, etc.
People shouldn’t ignore being overweight because people call them pretty. Believe it or not, there’s more to life than appearance. They’re putting themselves at risk and possibly decreasing their life span.
Moderate obesity reduces life expectancy by about three years, and severe obesity reduces it by ten; according to sciencedaily.com.
Body positivity is steering people in the wrong direction. We are all beautiful, but that doesn’t mean we are all healthy. I love seeing body positivity everywhere, but I don’t like seeing the obesity rate increasing. Not to mention these people’s kids.
According to cdc.gov, obesity has affected approximately 13.7 million kids 19 years old and younger. Not only does obesity mess with their physical health, but it could later affect their mental health. It’s been proven to cause bullying which leads to low self-esteem, anxiety, and depression.
These children should not be suffering from their parent’s poor choices. It risks their lives at a young age, especially because they have no control over what’s for dinner. The majority of kids are always running around, so this situation is only because of their poor eating habits. They will grow up and see that it’s okay to be overweight and not do anything to prevent it, or they will keep quiet and miserable due to everyone else’s opinions.
Some people who have a negative attitude on their overweight appearance are actually being silenced. If they are ashamed of their body, they don’t want everybody else’s body positivity shoved down their throat. They start being guilted into the whole campaign, according to psychologytoday.com
People should be able to determine for themselves how they view their own body. They shouldn’t be discouraged from dieting because they’re “beautiful either way.”
Overall, body positivity should be encouraged but not forced. No one should hate themselves because of how much they weigh. However, being confident shouldn’t be seen as an answer. We only have one body, let’s do what we can to keep it healthy.