In a culture that judges some bodies better than others, by virtue of youth or health or size or shape,

the advice to think positive is meant to prevent shame, but it comes with a downside.

Because in addition to failing to possess a figure that measures up to our culture's standards,

if we don't adore everything about our bodies all the time, despite those standards,

we have failed in yet another way.

From KERA in Dallas, this is think. I'm Chris Boyd. If unfettered body positivity is too much to

realistically expect of ourselves, maybe what we need is a different approach, one that recognizes

the value of body neutrality. Bethany C. Myers is founder and CEO of the Become Project. Her new book is called I Am More Than My Body, the Body Neutral Journey. Bethany, welcome to think.

Hello. Thank you. What a beautiful intro.

Well, thank you. Lots of people have heard by now about body positivity. Body neutrality might be a new term for folks. How is it

different? I think, you know, body neutrality really takes the focus off of the body. And instead,

it puts the focus on the other much more interesting and important things about us, like what our

body can do for us or who we are as a person, our personality. It's really about removing itself

from the body. I have this kind of one liner that I always use to sum it up, but body neutrality to me is

some days I love my body, some days I hate my body, but every single day I respect my body

because our bodies are deserving of respect and we are truly so much more than our body.

You share a fascinating story here about writing an article that referred

to body positivity and being asked by an editor if you could use neutrality instead.

Why did that request initially upset you?

I think, you know, I have a, I had a history of eating disorders, body dysmorphia,

and I had been on this journey to heal myself from

those things and to fall in love with my body. And I felt like I had kind of achieved, you know,

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