Are You Embracing Body Positivity?
Many people struggle with body positivity, and it can be a difficult topic to navigate. Highlighted below are several common questions regarding body positivity excerpted from the Mayo Clinic Diet: Weight-Loss Medications Edition, by Donald D. Hensrud, M.D., M.P.H., Andres J. Acosta, M.D., Ph.D., and Tara M. Schmidt, M.Ed., RDN. With the guidance of Mayo Clinic expert Karen Grothe, Ph.D., L.P., you can learn to talk about weight loss and body image in a positive manner by focusing on health rather than on numbers or sizes.
On body positivity and celebrating the self: Questions and answers with Karen Grothe, Ph.D., L.P., Psychiatry Q: It’s commonly accepted that losing excess weight can improve health, but what are your thoughts on cultural shifts such as “body positivity” and “health at every size”? Is it OK to be any size?
A: It is absolutely OK to be any size. The goal is to be as healthy at any size as possible, and that looks different for each person. I think it’s great that the culture is moving toward more body positivity and embracing various body shapes and sizes rather than focusing on an unrealistic ideal. I like to encourage patients to think about weight-loss efforts in terms of improving health and fitness, so they can have the best quality and quantity of life they are looking for and be able to live the life they truly want.
Excerpted from the Mayo Clinic
