I do believe that. As a girl, my body has been judged most harshly by my mother but also by other women and men throughout my life. Many of us are taught very early on that worth is tied to our appearance, and I don’t know one of my friends who hasn’t been affected by that in one way or another. The body positivity movement is in response to that, it’s to say we are all valuable for who we are regardless of what our bodies look like. And once you understand and believe that, you do things for better reasons. Do I still want a great body? Yes. Do I think I need a great body to be loved? No. So when my body isn’t great, for whatever reason, I am not ashamed to go to the gym or go out with friends or do things that I want to do when otherwise I might essentially put my life on hold until I am in shape. When you are stuck in negative thoughts about your body and yourself, you are stuck in them and often go in the opposite direction. The body positivity movement isn’t intended to make people happy about being obese, it’s intended to allow people feel happy even if they are obese.