Learn to Appreciate Your Body

"Don't judge a book by its cover," the popular saying goes. "All that glitters is not gold," is another. "Fine feathers do not make fine birds," is a third. What do they have in common?

常言道：“不要以貌取人”、“闪光的并非都是金子”、“人不可貌相”，那么这三句话有什么相同之处呢？

They remind us that something's appearance should not be the most important thing when determining its value. This is what the body positivity movement is all about.

这些话提醒我们在判断一件东西的价值时，外观不是最重要的因素，这就是身体积极性改变的意义所在。

Its message is that we should value ourselves for who we are warts and all — accept our flaws and stop judging ourselves against our imperfections.

也就是说，我们应该珍视自己的全部，接受自己的缺点，停止拿缺点批判自己。

But it's easier said than done. Despite this rise in positivity, many people still feel insecure about themselves and their appearance because it may not measure up to the objectified stereotype.

但是，这说来容易做来难。尽管能让自己更积极，但许多人仍因自己的外表未达到老套的客化标准而感到不自信。

So what can a person do to improve their own body positivity? Not comparing your body to others', particularly celebrities', is a good first step.

因此一个人该怎么提高自身的积极性呢？第一步就是不要拿自己的外表跟别人做比较，特别是名人。

"We're surrounded by these idealised images of what it is to be beautiful," says Becky Young, founder of a club helping people rethink their relationship with their bodies and food.

“我们深受那些固化的美丽形象影响” 贝基·杨说，她创办了一个俱乐部，帮助人们重新思考自己与身体、食物的关系。

She points out that comparing only creates a standard we think we need to aspire to and leads to feelings of disappointment if we aren't up to scratch.

她指出，与他人比较只会制定出一套我们自认为需要去达到的标准，而如果我们达不到这个标准，就会心生失望。

"Learn to take a compliment," recommends Thriveworks, a counselling and coaching website which promotes positive mental health.

Thriveworks是一个促进心理健康的咨询和辅导网站，该网站建议说：“要学会去赞美”。

When someone says something nice, embrace it — don't push it away or play it down. And compliment others too. If you think someone looks nice, or someone has a good idea, tell them. It can lift them up.

当受人称赞时，接受它 —— 不要拒绝它，也不要贬低它，也要回赞别人。如果你觉得某人很好看，或者某人提出的主意很好，把你的赞美告诉他们，这能鼓舞到他们。

Appreciate your body for what it can do — walking, yoga, playing sport or otherwise.

要感激你的身体，因为它所能做很多事 —— 散步、瑜伽、运动和其他。

"You can be an incredible human regardless of your shape or size," says Esther Field, a body-positive social media campaigner. After knee surgery, "I attended the gym and realised how strong and capable my body was, even though it was fat."

一位正能量社交媒体推动者埃丝特·菲尔德说：“不管你的身材是高是矮或是胖是瘦，你都可以成为一个了不起的人。做完膝盖手术后，我报了健身房，才意识到我的身体是多么强壮有力，虽然我曾经很胖。”

And finally, don't forget that low self-esteem and body confidence issues affect everyone.

最后，别忘了，每个人都会自卑，都会有对身体不自信。

"There aren't a lot of guys that are pushing this idea of body positivity," David Fadd, a plus-size male model of two years told the BBC. The social media influencer wants to remind us that body image and confidence affect men too.

大卫·法德是一个入行两年的男模，体格比普通人大，他告诉英国广播公司：“提倡这种正能量观点的男性不多” 。作为有影响力的新闻媒体，英国广播公司想提醒我们，外在形象和自信也会影响男性。

Ultimately, the only person who can truly affect your body positivity is you. Becoming comfortable with yourself is unlikely to be accomplished overnight — but don't give up. Remember that everyone is insecure sometimes.

最终，唯一能真正影响你身体正能量的人只有你自己。与自己坦然相处不可能一夜达成，但不要放弃。记住，每个人都有不自信的时候。

2025年7月27日于经典龙苑