Wednesday, July 16, 2014

Unconditional Body Acceptance

One thing that's struck me recently in the body image world is a sort of conditional body acceptance in the first-person narratives I've read - let me explain. . . .

I accept my body after baby - the weight and stretch marks and scars and marks - because I created and hosted the miracle of life.

I accept my wrinkles and sags as I age, as they tell the story of my long and winding journey.

While these stories are often poignant and certainly move our dialogue along, a tacit message is, I'm okay with my imperfections, but only because I've carried a baby or arrived at a certain age. 

But here's the thing: You don't need to have a baby or be of a certain age or accomplish or endure anything else to explain away a feature on your frame. Belly fat is okay with or without child and lines and wrinkles can pop up at any age. In the words of Sonya Renee Taylor, "The body is not an apology." Make no bones about it.

The rimples and dips and creases and puckers, the swelling, distention, flab and fat that your body naturally houses - you don't need an excuse.

Your body is okay.



You can find Does Every Woman Have an Eating Disorder? Challenging Our Nation's Fixation with Food and Weight on Amazon (as a paperback and Kindle) and at BarnesandNoble.com



3 comments:

Unknown said...

I love this post. It's so hard to love my body unconditionally. I'm trying and somedays are easier than others. Thank you for the reminder that every body is okay.

Meliss said...

how does someone learn to change her thinking about her body? i've learned to change my thinking about food - and am very comfortable with what and how i approach food.

with my body, it works out that when i eat comfortably, my body settles into a weight i am also comfortable with. but what if it didn't....?

drstaceyny said...

Thanks, KJ.

Melissa - great question. I'll turn it into a post to see if I get any responses. . . .