Body Positivity: The Lizzo Effect

Unless you have been living in a cave, chances are you have heard of bold, brazen and bodacious hip hop artist Lizzo (a.k.a. Melissa Jefferson), who hails from Detroit, Michigan. Her musical journey took her to Houston to study classical flute and then to Minneapolis where Prince gave her a boost by having her record on one of his albums. She has skyrocketed to the top of the charts and inspires people to live with passion. In a recent interview on the NPR show Fresh Air, Terry Gross discussed the artist’s lean toward body positivity. As a woman of size, Lizzo quite emphatically talks about how she grew to be comfortable in her own skin. To see her on stage is to watch her athleticism. Garbed in revealing outfits without shame, she is a model for people of all shapes. Her album cover for her newest release called Cuz I Love You showcases her in all her glory, with a 42″ wig cascading down her back, to provide the illusion she is “wearing something.” It takes courage to fly in the face of convention, especially in show business which glorifies size 0 runway models.  The body positivity movement was brought to the forefront with the publication of the book Health At Every Size: The Surprising Truth About Your Weight by Linda Bacon. (Interesting irony there with the author’s name.) In it, she encourages readers to embrace every inch of their body. Over the past 61 years, I have both loved and loathed my body. I have embraced what it can do and chafed at i...
Source: World of Psychology - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Tags: Eating Disorders Exercise & Fitness Health-related Personal body acceptance Body dysmorphia body positivity Source Type: blogs