Body neutrality

[ˈbɒdi njuːˈtralɪti] n.

The term first popped up in blog posts in 2015, but took off after a Vermont wellness retreat created a programme around the concept the following year. The movement aims to remove the pressure of having to love your body at all times, instead encouraging you to feel neutral about your physical appearance and get your sense of self-worth from other sources. ‘Body neutrality is a healthy goal to aim for,’ says body image psychotherapist Holli Rubin. ‘It helps you be at peace with who you are physically by de-emphasising the pressure to love your body all the time – that’s not realistic, nor should it be the goal.’

She adds that the aim of body neutrality is self-acceptance: ‘Feeling content with yourself physically leads to a boost in self-esteem, as you’re accepting yourself for who you are in body and mind.’ That said, the movement might not be helpful for everyone – it can be hard for people with certain disabilities or gender dysphoria (distress over a mismatch between your gender identity and biological sex) to feel neutral about their bodies, for example. And as psychologist and body image specialist Dr Courtney Raspin explains: ‘It’s okay to feel not so great about your appearance sometimes, or alternatively, to find joy in it.’