06/15/2026
Body positivity had a big resurgence in the 2010s, but lately, body neutrality has been mentioned quite a bit. What’s the difference? Is there a difference? There sure is!
Body positivity is the practice of embracing and celebrating all aspects of your body. Even though the idea of it is well-intended, it can sometimes be too difficult to achieve, especially in our diet-culture world and for someone in eating disorder recovery.
The body image spectrum is a widely-used tool in weight inclusive care, which ranges from body hate at one end to body liberation at the other. There is no one set body image spectrum, but many variations on it, all with the same bookends. For some in eating disorder recovery, or with a history of an eating disorder, body liberation may not be possible, and aiming to get there may cause frustration.
Instead, the middle point of the spectrum is body neutrality, which encourages neutral feelings towards your body, with a focus on what the body can do rather than its appearance.
Body neutrality can be a great goal for eating disorder work. It’s also a great starting point for anyone wanting to move beyond body hatred. There are many ways you can practice body neutrality. Simply noticing ways that your body is functioning is a start. You can even thank your body for its work, “Thank you stomach, for digesting my food.” Maybe it feels forced at first, but the more you do it, the more you’ll feel comfortable with it. A body neutral affirmation we love at Olive Branch is, “My value is not based on my appearance.”
Try out some body neutral talk this week. You might be surprised at how your body feels when it hears words that aren’t mean towards it. What is your favorite body neutral affirmation?
