Lizzo Made an Important Point About the Body-Positivity Movement

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In recent years, the body-positivity movement has seemingly hit a fever pitch in popularity. You'll often see body-positive sentiments represented in ad campaigns, not to mention countless posts on social media with #bodypos hashtags. But Lizzo just made an important point about how the body-positivity movement has changed since its inception. In a new TikTok, the singer said the movement is increasingly shutting out the marginalized people who created it.

A quick refresher: The body-positivity movement started as a way to help those with marginalized bodies (fat, queer, trans, bodies of color, and more) feel entitled to self-love — an entitlement that had previously been reserved for people in privileged (i.e. thin, white, fit) bodies. (Related: Racism Needs to Be Part of the Conversation About Dismantling Diet Culture)

However, as Lizzo explained in her TikTok, the body-positivity movement has since been "co-opted" by all bodies. "People are finally celebrating medium and small girls and people who occasionally get rolls," explained Lizzo. Which, BTW, is a good thing. People in privileged bodies can and should be allies who are aware of the fact that everyone deserves self-love. But Lizzo's point, she explained, is that "fat people are still getting the short end of this movement."

Whether it's in the form of a brand that stops Photoshopping its ads to appear "inclusive" but still only sells clothes up to a size XXL, or concern trolls giving people with larger bodies unsolicited "advice" about their health, fat-shaming is still very much alive and well, despite the popularity of the body-positivity movement. "We're still getting shit on, we're still getting talked about, memed, [and] shamed," said Lizzo. And, she continued, because body positivity is now painted as something that's "for everybody" (rather than for the marginalized people it was meant to uplift), the shaming often flies under the radar, and "no one cares," said the singer. (Related: Why Body-Shaming Is Such a Big Problem — and What You Can Do to Stop It)

Toward the end of her TikTok, Lizzo took a moment to remind people that, yes, the body-positivity movement is meant to help you feel good about yourself. "Please use our movement to empower yourself. That's the point," she said. But keep in mind that "the people who created this movement — big women, big brown and Black women, queer women — are not benefiting from the mainstream success of it," she continued. (Related: Why I Felt Compelled to Delete My Transformation Photos)

On a final note, Lizzo shared one more important reminder for those who still feel the need to comment on someone's size, weight, or perceived health or abilities: "Our bodies are none of your f*cking business. Our health is none of your f*cking business."