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Lizzo says the body positivity movement has left behind 'the people who created' it

The singer and body positivity advocate expressed concern that the original proponents of the movement "are not benefiting from the mainstream success of it."
Lizzo In Concert - New York, NY
Lizzo is using her platform to call out the limitations of the body positivity movement and how it needs to change.Steven Ferdman / Getty Images
/ Source: TMRW

Singer and flautist Lizzo shared a video on Friday criticizing the body positive movement for forgetting about "the people who created" it and continuing to put pressure on women who are overweight.

The singer, 32, shared the message in response to another TikTok user who had shared an emotional video asking why she couldn't just "exist in her body" after receiving a critical message about her weight.

"Because now that body positivity has been co-opted by all bodies and people are finally celebrating medium and small girls and people who occasionally get rolls, fat people are still getting the short end of this movement," Lizzo said.

The "Truth Hurts" singer continued to say that fat people are "still getting shit on, we're still getting talked about, memed, shamed and no one cares anymore."

@lizzo

Please use the body positive movement to empower yourself. But we need to protect and uplift the bodies it was created for and by.

♬ original sound - lizzo

"It's like, 'Body positivity is for everybody,'" Lizzo said. "Yes, please be positive about your body. Please use our movement to empower yourself. That's the point! (But) the people who created this movement — big women, big brown and Black women, queer women — are not benefiting from the mainstream success of it."

Lizzo ended the short video with a request that people continue to support each other and avoid making generalizations or comments about someone's health or weight.

"Our bodies are none of your f***ing business," the singer said. "Our health is none of your f***ing business. All we ask is that you keep that same energy with these medium girls that you praise. Keep the same f***ing energy."

Lizzo has been open about her relationship with her body. In December 2020, she shared a video talking about the "really negative thoughts" she has about her appearance.

"Like, you know, 'What's wrong with me? Maybe all the mean things people say about me are true,'" she said. "And, you know, 'Why am I so disgusting?' and hating my body. And normally ... I would have some positive thing to say to get me out of this but I don't and that's OK too."

Lizzo said that while she knows those thoughts are "normal" and "happen to everybody," they can be hard to deal with. The singer has also received frequent criticism about her weight: Celebrity trainer Jillian Michaels and political and social commentator Dr. Boyce Watkins have both criticized the singer's weight and focus on body positivity.

Lizzo said in a 2019 interview that she wants to counter the "double standard" that exists when it comes to women who are overweight.

"When people look at my body and be like, 'Oh my God, she's so brave,' it's like, 'No, I'm not,'" she told Glamour in 2019. “I'm just fine. I'm just me. I'm just sexy. If you saw Anne Hathaway in a bikini on a billboard, you wouldn't call her brave. I just think there's a double standard when it comes to women. ... I don't like it when people think it's hard for me to see myself as beautiful. I don't like it when people are shocked that I'm doing it."