How Body Neutrality Can Help You in Your Eating Disorder Recovery Journey?

Body neutrality can help you deal with an eating disorder. (Photo via Pexels/ Shvets Production)
Body neutrality can help you deal with eating disorders. (Photo via Pexels/Shvets Production)

Research is now moving towards body neutrality, a process of accepting your body as it is. That differs from body positivity, as body neutrality calls on you to appreciate all that your body does for you. Body neutrality doesn’t mean you don’t love your body.

Some people hate their bodies, and it’s incredibly difficult to go from hate to love. Many think that unless they absolutely can't love how their body looks, they can't have a healthy body image. Your emotional and physical health can be impacted by your body image, which is how you perceive your physical self.

People with poor perception of their body may be more prone to eating disorders, melancholy, or low self-esteem. Negative body image is typical. Roughly a third of individuals have had experience of anxiety or depression related to body image.

Having a body-neutral perspective can be beneficial if you struggle with poor body image. Accepting your body for what it is rather than what it looks like, is the main goal of body neutrality. That differs from body positivity, which urges you to appreciate your body regardless of its flaws.

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Importance of Body Neutrality

Your body image, or how you view your physical self, can have an effect on both your emotional and physical health.

Eating disorders, depression, or low self-esteem may be more common in people who have a negative body image, which is fairly common. If you are battling a negative body image, having an objective view of your body can be helpful.

To help in your recovery, keep in mind that body positivity, body acceptance, and body neutrality can all coexist.

Working on body neutrality can be a good place to start when recovering from an eating disorder, as it may open the door to accepting and loving your body. Then you might go into the stage of recovery when accepting your body seems doable.

Irrespective of our body weight, we can develop a negative body image. (Photo via Pexels/Andres Ayrton)
Irrespective of our body weight, we can develop a negative body image. (Photo via Pexels/Andres Ayrton)

It's possible to gradually go through rehabilitation to a stage where you have body-positive days and an outpouring of sincere appreciation for your body. Your road to recovery won't be easy, as recovery takes time and is a process.

It's crucial that we never lose sight of the fact that we are humans with beautiful attributes and deserve love, in addition to how our bodies appear and what they are capable of.

All three aspects have something to offer in terms of changing the society and making the world a better place for the underprivileged. We hope you now have a better understanding of body positivity, body acceptance, body neutrality, or all three, regardless of your goals.

Here's an example: Say an idea crosses someone's mind about their arms. "I loathe my arms; they are so flabby! may be a statement made by someone who is experiencing body dissatisfaction.

A person who embraces their physique positively would exclaim, "I adore my arms; they are strong!" However, body neutrality advises that we take into account what the arms can perform for us. A person who beleives in body neutrality may say, "I appreciate that my arms allow me to embrace others to convey how much I care, carry groceries up to my house, and pet my dog."


Is Body Neutrality for You?

Neutrality is unique for everyone but it brings us closer to satisfaction! (Photo via Pexels/Mart Production)
Neutrality is unique for everyone but it brings us closer to satisfaction! (Photo via Pexels/Mart Production)

Anyone can benefit from incorporating bodily neutrality ideas into daily life, as it's similar to cultivating thankfulness.

According to studies, cultivating thankfulness benefits both healthy people and ones with mental health problems. As body positivity can be an unrealistic and occasionally harmful approach, practicing body neutrality can be especially useful for those with eating disorders.

Body neutrality supports the recovery from eating disorders by expanding the emphasis beyond outward appearance and towards deeper purposes. Body neutrality manifests differently for each person, as everyone has a different relationship with their body.

Nevertheless, there are many steps you can take to incorporate body neutrality into your life. Researchers are now working to see if body neutrality can help in managing eating disorders.


Takeaway

Remember that beauty isn’t the only thing about you that's worthy of value. It’s fine to not love your body every day.

The great thing about neutrality is that you can accept your body even when you don’t love it. Body neutrality can be a step towards body positivity, or it could be the endpoint. Either of them is a wonderful choice.

Recovery might entail learning to accept one's body at all times, feeling body positive, and developing a more expansive non-judgmental perspective on it. Adopting body neutrality can result in a changed attitude with one's body.


Janvi Kapur is a counselor with a Master's degree in applied psychology with a specialization in clinical psychology.

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