Obesity is growing yearly in society, and social media falsely represents this issue to the general public. It’s projected that approximately 313 million people are using social media in the United States as of 2024. In today’s world, it’s almost impossible to escape influencers and body positivity activists. Many of these activists, as well as other healthcare professionals, have opposing views of one another on this topic. Some believe in focusing on losing weight, as obesity is a national public health issue. A different side is about body positivity, or the idea that people considered obese, which means having a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or more, should accept their body for what it is and work on becoming healthier in other ways.
Accepting one’s body can be beneficial if one does what is trying to be portrayed by social media activists for body positivity by choosing to be as healthy as possible while still accepting one’s body for what it is. When asked about his view on body positivity, Pennridge High School senior Grayson Kerzmann stated, “Body positivity is about accepting and appreciating your body, regardless of its size or shape. It’s about challenging unrealistic beauty standards and promoting self-love.” Kerzmann then explained how social media can be a benefit to the overall health of obese individuals. “When people feel good about themselves, they’re more likely to care for their health and well-being,” Kerzmann said. Many activists believe having a focus on reducing obesity leads to weight discrimination, so it’s best not to try and lose excessive weight.
The goal of body positivity activists might be to make everyone comfortable in their skin, but that doesn’t work if it’s creating a false reality for the obese population. Healthcare professionals who share this viewpoint say that it’s dangerous to normalize obesity as it can prevent patients from seeking the necessary healthcare they may need. Pennridge High School junior Zach Bridgman had a similar opinion on the matter. “Obesity is a serious public health issue and shouldn’t be allowed to be promoted, especially through social media,” Bridgman shared. “It [social media] isn’t a reason for people to allow themselves to remain unhealthy,” continued Bridgman.
The unfortunate truth in our society is that people are using body positivity as an excuse to be overweight and choose to be happy with their size but do nothing about their health in any manner. Accepting the size of one’s self is not the problem, but rather the unhealthiness of ignoring the facts of the situation. Social media users attempt to promote a change, but many ignore it. The negativity surrounding social media leads to hate from others who disapprove of the obese community as well. Social media should not be a source of reducing obesity across the country. People looking for real change should seek professional medical advice, maybe even multiple opinions if necessary. The topic of obesity should be a focus of people interested in improving their overall healthcare, so no more ignoring the truth.
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