Body positivity is a movement that encourages all people to understand that their body is beautiful and perfect regardless of its size or shape. When it comes to our mental health, it’s important to know that our bodies are lovable even if they don’t resemble those on magazine covers. However, recently, an article entitled “Body Positivity Doesn’t Mean Praising Obesity,” the movement received some criticism, suggesting that it is irresponsible to celebrate all body types, because it encourages those who are over or underweight to remain unhealthy.

It’s true, of course, that not every body is a healthy body. Being overweight can lead to type 2 diabetes as well as various heart problems. It can also be a sign that you have low thyroid levels, which can cause fatigue, depression, and a handful of other side effects that reach farther than just excessive weight gain. On the other hand, being underweight can lead to decreased immune function, fertility issues, anemia, and several other health risks ranging from minor to severe.

But what does this have to do with loving or not loving your body?
Let’s say you’re dangerously overweight, should you not love your body?

Put another way, how could it possibly help your situation to hate your body? There are many different reasons why you might be overweight, but it’s not for anybody besides you and your doctor to have an opinion on. It’s great to acknowledge you have a problem (maybe it’s compulsive overeating, maybe it’s a pre-existing condition), but it’s harmful to turn that acknowledgement into hate. There is absolutely no reason why you shouldn’t love every inch of your body while you get working on a plan for a healthier body.

And the exact same thing goes for those who are underweight. It is complete nonsense to withhold love from something simply because it’s unhealthy. The notion that we should only celebrate the healthy is a toxic and slippery slope, a fact that would be obvious to all if it were being discussed under the context other than physical appearance.

Think about it: if there were two people, one with a serious illness and one in perfect health, nobody would encourage the healthy person to love their body while telling the sick person not to. On the contrary, a sick person would be encouraged to think positively about his or her body. After all, positive thinking is at times the only real chance for recovery.  

While there is real danger to being significantly over or underweight, there is no body that doesn’t deserve love or celebration. Loving an unhealthy body doesn’t necessarily mean you’re in denial of its sickness. What it does absolutely mean is that you’ve committed to an affectionate and sustainable relationship with the body God gave you, just like you would to a husband or wife: not only in health, but in sickness as well.