A monthly newsletter addition from our Dietitian and Eating Disorder Recovery Team.

Body Neutrality

“New year, new me!” “Get shredded for summer!” “Lose the holiday weight!” At the beginning of a new year, we are flooded with messaging that encourages us to change our appearance in some way, shape, or form. It can be very easy for us to feel like our body is an object that needs to be changed in order to be “visually appealing”. But did you know that you don’t have to change your appearance, even if you aren’t in love with

the way you look?

Body neutrality is the idea of understanding who we are as human beings from a

functional perspective; i.e., what my body can do rather than what my body looks like.

This concept takes away some of the pressure that can be experienced when

discussing ideas like body positivity, and can feel more approachable/achievable

overall. Being neutral means that you can look at things as they are, rather than

categorizing them as “good” or “bad”. Body neutrality can also be a way of learning

how to decrease the intensity of emotions when it comes to how we feel about our

bodies (which is often the first step towards healing your relationship with your body!)

Here are some ways that you can start to practice body neutrality:

• Focus on what your body can do. What are you capable of on the day-to-day?
• Wear clothes that fit your body comfortably; do a closet cleanout if you want!
• Challenge yourself to focus on traits aside from your appearance (e.g., “I am

smart”, “I am ambitious”, “I am a good friend.”)

• If you like to exercise, find movement that makes you feel good both physically

and mentally (because movement should be fun, not a punishment!)

• Clean out your social media/Unfollow anything that makes you feel negative.
• Shut down negative conversations about weight/body if you hear others talking this way.