Man Starts Argument Online By Sharing Why He Thinks The Body Positivity Movement Is Evil
The body positivity movement has blown up in recent years, and even though there are tons of people out there who support it, others are against it. Some don't even seem to understand it. Twitter user @TheJackBly recently shared a list of five reasons why he believes the entire movement is "evil."
Even though some people agreed with Bly, others called him out—because this is the internet, and we don't agree on anything.
The Body Positivity Movement
According to research done by Jessica Cwynar-Horta, since 2012, and because of the popularity launch of social media platforms, there has been a heightened presence of the body positivity movement.
"The movement challenged the unrealistic standards of feminine beauty like smooth skin, body size, and avoidance of any imperfections." Above is a picture of Ashley Graham, who was the first size 16 model to be featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated.
This Twitter User Spoke Out
Recently, fitness guru Jack Bly sparked controversy and conversations on Twitter after sharing five reasons why he believes the body positivity movement is evil.
Let's go through the thread that Bly posted, reason by reason.
Reason One: Misinformation
Bly explains that brands like Cosmopolitan are spreading lies for promoting phrases such as "you can be healthy at all sizes."
He explains that obesity puts you at a greater risk for stroke, heart disease, and diabetes.
Reason Two: Normalizing Health Issues
Bly explains that it shouldn't be normalized for people to suffer from health issues due to being overweight.
Kids who grow up in this day and age are being taught that this is the norm.
Reason Three: "Detrimental" To Society
In third-world countries, people are dying of starvation. Yet in America, the medical costs for obesity have skyrocketed, and people die from obesity-related issues every year.
According to STOP, "Estimates of the medical cost of adult obesity in the United States range from $147 billion to nearly $210 billion per year."
Reason Four: Setting An Unethical Precedent
Bly claims that body positivity is founded on the belief that feelings are more important than facts.
Instead of telling people the hard truth about being overweight, Bly thinks companies and supporters of the movement are blindly supporting an unhealthy lifestyle.
Reason Five: Lives Are Being Lost
The final reason why Bly is criticizing the body positivity movement is that obesity is costing people their lives. People lose family members to obesity-related conditions all the time.
He ends the thread by stating: "Body positivity is virtue signaling with no ethics in sight."
Some Thought His Post Was Offensive And One-Dimensional
Lots of people didn't agree with Bly's thread, and they made that incredibly clear. The comments were riddled with people who countered his argument.
Bly only focused on one extremity. Some larger people are healthier than thin people, which he didn't even mention. Plus, the entire campaign is literally about loving the way you look.
Some People Agreed
That being said, some agreed with Bly in the thread. People commented on the fact that the fashion industry likes to tell people what they believe is beauty, and that "both extremes (underweight and overweight) are wrong."
And people agreed that it's wrong to promote being oversized. Yet, isn't the body positivity movement about accepting ALL body types?
"Advertisers Know That It Won't Work On Men"
Multiple commenters harped on the fact that within brands that cater to males, there are hardly any plus-sized models present.
And because many believe that the body positivity movement is just a big ploy by advertisers, users noted the fact that perhaps advertisers have tuned into the fact that this only works with women.
Was The Whole Thing Just An Ad For His Program?
At the bottom of the thread, Bly included a link to his DMs, where he wanted people to shoot him a message if they wanted to enroll in his weight-loss program.
And this bothered A LOT of people.
People Weren't Having It
People were extremely turned off by the way that he included a "self-promo" at the end of the thread as if he just wanted to stir the pot for a couple of new clients.
People mentioned that was the breaking point for them, and that after insulting and shaming people, he had the audacity to promote his weight loss program.
"People Deserve To Have A Positive Body Image"
According to Very Well Mind, "Body positivity refers to the assertion that all people deserve to have a positive body image, regardless of how society and popular culture view ideal shape, size, and appearance."
"Some of the goals of the body positivity movement include: challenging how society views the body, promoting the acceptance of all bodies." Even though someone could interpret this as the acceptance of obesity, body positivity is just about empowerment and loving yourself and your imperfections.
Let's Empower Those Around Us
I'm going to add my two cents here. There are tons of people out there, including myself, who see the body positivity movement as empowering. It's nice to see models with curvier body types like my own when I'm online shopping. Because we have one body, and one body only, for the rest of our lives. So we need to treat it with kindness, love, and acceptance.
But there are also people out there, like Jack Bly, who will never agree with the body positivity movement. And people are entitled to their own opinion, but just make sure you stand by yours.
