As a spirited freshman, having gulped down my third Oreo & Almond milkshake at the marketplace, I marched into the Fitness Center on a mission to compensate. After a solid three minutes on the treadmill, I embarked upon a futile quest to find the elusive weighing scale, hoping to quantify my progress.

It was only a few days later that I found out that the weighing scale had been removed from the Fitness Center and moved to the Health Center. Apparently, this decision was on the grounds that the notion of body positivity is threatened by the presence of a mere weighing scale.

Before we begin, I would like to make a clarification. When it comes to body positivity and body image issues, there are not two opposing sides, but in fact a spectrum.

I think it’s fair to assume that we can all agree that one’s weight isn’t a composite measure of their health or fitness. However, to make the claim that it’s not even one of the determinants of health is simply absurd.

The cultural narrative surrounding body positivity is often misleading and immensely damaging. Contrary to popular belief, the idea of being body positive and that of wanting to lose weight are not mutually exclusive. Body positivity, without the jargon and the fluff, simply means to love your body and treat it well. It can mean having salad and green tea for every meal, but that routine may not work for everyone. This definition can include using weighing scales if one desires. It’s entirely an individual’s decision where they fall on the spectrum of this broadly, freely and positively defined notion of body positivity.

One of the popular arguments made against the weighing scale is that if its absence helps even a single person overcome their body image issues and embrace their body, it justifies the inconvenience of the entire student body having to take two flights of stairs down to the Health and Wellness Center. Now, if that was all there was to the issue I would concede that it may be in our best interests to do away with it after all. But the weighing scale issue is more than that. It is symptomatic of the fact that we have an innate tendency to be seduced by ideas that sound “right” and “virtuous” at first glance. In other words, just because it’s a response to the issue doesn’t mean it’s an appropriate one. Further, it brings to light that we as a society accept and propagate narrow conceptions and restrictive definitions of body positivity.

The question I ask is: by dismissing the issue of weight loss is NYU Abu Dhabi really embracing body positivity? And, furthermore, why should one’s definition of body positivity dictate that of others? If an individual is capable of recognizing that the weighing scale isn’t for them or doesn’t fit their notion of body positivity, they are equally capable of understanding that the same standards are not necessarily applicable for everyone else. To enforce them on others is nothing short of coercion. It is imperative to understand that accommodation for one shouldn’t come at the cost of restriction and alienation of others.

It is also important to remember that there doesn’t exist a causal relationship between body image issues and the number of times one uses the weighing scale each week. If an argument were to be made that the removal of weighing scales does exacerbate body image issues, I am sure we can all extend that argument to gyms and fitness programs in general as well. What do we do then? Where do we draw the line? If the principle is sound, the only logical solution would be to shut down the gym and all fitness programs the university offers in the quest of body positivity.

Eating disorders, body dysmorphia, and body image issues are all too real. At NYU Abu Dhabi, we are privileged to have resources such as the Health and Wellness Center and REACH at our disposal to tackle these issues. We are privileged to be a part of a community that breaks the walls of the stigma that surrounds body image issues through active dialogue. Yes, we have a long way to go, but things like the weighing scale dilemma detract from the real issues. Body image issues are complex and they require immense institutional efforts to be tackled effectively: from developing supporting structures like Health and Wellness and REACH, to dismantling harmful misconceptions, as well as promoting conversations and creating safe inclusive spaces.

However, institutions can only go so far, and the burden of individual responsibility is something that is too often dismissed. It’s our responsibility to look after ourselves and those around us, and seek professional help when required. The least we owe to ourselves is to try to love our bodies and treat them the way they deserve to be treated.