Body Neutrality: Why It’s Different from Body Positivity, and How It Helps With Eating Disorder Recovery

Your body image is how you think and feel about your body, and it can affect your mental and physical health. People with a negative body image may be more likely to develop certain eating disorders, depression, or low self-esteem. Having a negative body image is pretty common. In fact, about a third of adults have felt anxious or depressed about their body image at some point. 

If you have a negative body image, adopting a body neutrality mindset may help. Body neutrality focuses on accepting your body for what it is and not what it looks like. This approach is different from body positivity, which encourages you to love your body no matter what.

Read on to learn more about body neutrality, including how to start practicing it and how it can help with recovery from eating disorders.

What is body neutrality?

Body neutrality is about accepting your body as it is and not having an emotional response to it — either positive or negative. This movement, which helps you be at peace with your body, has become popular in the last 5 years.

Body neutrality values what your body can do over what it looks like. It emphasizes things like the ability of your lungs to breathe or your arms to hug someone you love. Body neutrality can also free up your time and energy to focus on other aspects of your identity — like your creativity or sense of humor.

Body neutrality also promotes mindfulness. Mindfulness has many positive benefits, like lowering stress. This mindset can help you focus on what you enjoy doing and how your body can help accomplish it. 

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For example, if you like biking, you can focus on how your body takes you on a trail ride and not on what it looked like getting you there. Other aspects of body neutrality include intuitive eating and exercising because they give you energy and can boost your well-being.

What’s the difference between body neutrality and body positivity? 

Body positivity can mean different things to different people. In general, though, body positivity encourages people to love their body, no matter what its size, shape, or physical ability. 

Body positivity and body neutrality can both help improve a negative body image. But there are some differences between the two approaches. Here are some examples:

• Body positivity focuses on your appearance in a positive way, while body neutrality tries to remove the focus on your appearance.

• Body positivity encourages you to love your body at all times, while body neutrality acknowledges that it’s OK to have days when you don’t.

• Someone practicing body positivity may say, “I love how my legs look.” Someone with a body neutrality mindset may focus on their body’s ability, saying, “My legs help me walk my dog.”

• Body neutrality also acknowledges that loving your body at all times can be hard for many people.

Keep in mind that there is room for both movements in your life. People can benefit from body neutrality or positivity at different times in their life. Some people may use body neutrality as a stepping stone to body positivity.

Are there downsides to body positivity?

The body neutrality approach was started to address some of the challenges associated with the body positivity movement. 

Here are some of the criticisms and downsides to body positivity:  

• For some people, it’s hard to practice body positivity and love how they look.

• Though body positivity is supposed to celebrate all types of bodies, many people — like women of color and transwomen — are left out. 

• The body positivity movement has become commercialized.

• Body positivity can promote toxic positivity, which pushes you to have a positive attitude all the time and doesn’t acknowledge that it’s OK if you don’t love your body sometimes.  

• Body positivity still focuses on your appearance.

• Some people feel that you can’t be body positive and want to change your body at the same time.

How can body neutrality help with eating disorder treatment?

If you have an eating disorder, you may have a distorted or negative view of your body. Part of the recovery process includes addressing or improving your relationship with your body. But going from being critical of your body to unconditional love may be hard and unrealistic for many people.

Body neutrality is different because it focuses on self-acceptance. This may be a more achievable goal for someone in eating disorder recovery. Instead of focusing on how you look, you learn to appreciate what your body can accomplish. Body neutrality can be a good bridge to a healthier relationship with your body.

How do you practice body neutrality? 

Practicing body neutrality can be hard to do at first, and it may take some practice. Not focusing on your appearance is challenging for many people. This is especially true since we’re often surrounded by people who judge themselves and others on their looks.

Keep in mind that adopting a body neutrality mindset may look different for each person. Part of the process is identifying what works for you.

Tips for practicing body neutrality

Here are some tips that can help you start practicing body neutrality:    

• Focus on what nourishes you and on being as healthy as you can, rather than on how you look.

• Practice mindfulness for a few minutes each day, focusing on how you feel and the different sensations in your body. 

• Be accepting and compassionate toward your body. Remember that it’s normal for your body to change as you go through life or deal with different illnesses.

• Listen to your body, and ask what it’s telling you throughout the day. For example, it may need to stretch if you’ve been sitting for a while.

• Remind yourself that the way you look is only one part of you — and that your worth doesn’t depend on your appearance.

• Avoid social media accounts that make you feel a certain way about your body.

• Understand that you don’t need to feel attractive all the time to be happy or live fully.

• Exercise because it makes you feel good and gives you energy, not to look a certain way.

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Written by:

Maria Robinson, MD, MBA

Maria Robinson, MD, MBA, is a board-certified dermatologist and dermatopathologist who has practiced dermatology and dermatopathology for over 10 years across private practice, academic, and telehealth settings. She is a fellow of the American Academy of Dermatology and the American Society of Dermatopathology.

Edited by:

Renée Fabian, MA

Renée Fabian is the senior pet health editor at GoodRx. She’s worked for nearly 10 years as a journalist and editor across a wide range of health and well-being topics.

Reviewed by:

Katie E. Golden, MD

Katie E. Golden, MD, is a board-certified emergency medicine physician and a medical editor at GoodRx.

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