Learn the 5 traits of body positive women

Have you ever wondered how people with a positive body image became that way?

While the advertising media would like you to believe that a positive body image is all about looking a certain way, the truth is very different.

A recent study showed that there are specific traits that set body positive women apart from those who are less so.

In this post, I’m sharing the five traits of body positive women as revealed by the University of Gothenburg.

All of these ‘traits’ can be practised by anyone. They don’t require any special skills other than a willingness and a desire to practice them.

Watch or read below:

Research on body positive women

I recently came across a study looking at women with positive body image. The objective of the research was to discover what traits set these women apart.

Kristina Holmqvist Gattario, the body image researcher behind the study found five key traits of body positive women.

Reading through these traits, I recognised them as perspectives/strategies that I already use with my clients and community.

What are the traits of body positive women? 

Firstly, they believe that life is about more than looks.  They focus on things that they want to do with their life, the people they care about and their ideals.

Secondly, they’re involved in causes that support a greater good. Helping and being of service to others puts life in perspective.

It’s hard to obsess about your body when you’re supporting a cause such as violence against women or homelessness.

Thirdly, they avoid certain types of media. Researchers call this ‘protective filtering’.  This means they filter out any media that can lead them to compare themselves unfavourably to others, whether that’s magazines, TV or social media.

Fourthly, they practice self-care. They engage in self-care behaviours.  These benefit both the physical and mental health of their body including, exercise, eating nourishing foods and getting enough rest.

A focus on taking care of the body not only benefits health, but it encourages a focus on body function rather than appearance.

Finally, they surround themselves with the right people and activities. They create what the researchers call a ‘safe body image environment’.

This means being strategic about who they spend their time with and what activities they engage in. For example, they were careful not to hang out with people who made them feel down about their body.

If you want to have a more positive body image, why not emulate the traits of body positive women from this study?

I’d love to know which of these traits you’re going to adopt, so please leave me a comment below.