But beneath the noise of mainstream social media, a quieter, older, and arguably more authentic expression of body acceptance has existed for nearly a century. It is the —also known as nudism.
Psychologists call this —the fear that others are evaluating your body negatively. In textile (clothed) society, this anxiety is constant. We wear shapewear, high-waisted everything, and baggy hoodies to disappear.
The logic is sound. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) attempts to break the loop of negative thought. Naturism provides real-world evidence that contradicts the negative thought. “They will laugh at my scar.” (Reality: No one looked). “I am disgusting.” (Reality: A child just asked you to play catch). The cognitive dissonance forces a rewrite of the internal script. Ironically, body positivity and naturism also intersect on environmentalism. Fast fashion is one of the world’s largest polluters. The constant churn of "new bodies" requiring "new clothes" to "fix" them creates immense waste.