Plus Size Bodies, What Is Wrong With Them Anyway?
In the January 2012 issue of PLUS Model Magazine, plus-size model Katya Zharkova is featured in an explosive editorial where thought provoking statistics and statements are revealed.
*Check out all the images here*
- Twenty years ago the average fashion model weighed 8% less than the average woman. Today, she weighs 23% less.
- Ten years ago plus-size models averaged between size 12 and 18. Today the need for size diversity within the plus-size modeling industry continues to be questioned. The majority of plus-size models on agency boards are between a size 6 and 14, while the customers continue to express their dissatisfaction.
- Most runway models meet the Body Mass Index physical criteria for Anorexia.
- 50% of women wear a size 14 or larger, but most standard clothing outlets cater to sizes 14 or smaller.
If we continue to ignore and rely on others to decide what we want to see, change will never happen. We have to be vocal and proactive, patient and realistic.
Tips on how we can help create change:
- Support the companies who market to you.
- Use social networking sites and email to let brands and designers know how you feel about clothing, options and the use of straight sized models (thin models) to market to you.
- Your dollars count! If you stop buying at “Store A” and let them know you will not be purchasing clothing until they market to you, this will raise concern.
- Use every avenue and opportunity you have available to you for your voice to be heard.
- Indie designers need our support.
The answer to the question is this, there is nothing wrong with our bodies. We are bombarded with weight-loss ads every single day, multiple times a day because it’s a multi-billion dollar industry that preys on the fear of being fat. Not everyone is meant to be skinny, our bodies are beautiful and we are not talking about health here because not every skinny person is healthy.
Don’t forget to check out the entire feature by clicking HERE!
I am a fat guy(I’m not ashamed of it!), with a 48 waste. Finding my size is a pain to begin with, and half the time, my size still doesn’t look right on me. I’m now told I need a longer/deeper inseam..ok, whatever.. My overall point is that at a time when people are screaming that obescity is an epidemic, its hard to find something that fits right. And its even HARDER to find something that looks good or looks cool that will fit right. I swear, its like the fashion companies decided, “Eh..They’re fat, they’re ugly..lets not let them forget it! Lets make it so that they have to dress even uglier!”
I’m sick of it! I want to be able to wear a killer shirt, and have it look great on me! Same goes for pants! I admit, 90 per cent of the time I dress like a shlub.. But for the 10 per cent of the time that I want to look good..I want to to look great!
I just posted a picture of myself (on a social networking site) from about 8 years ago…. when I was STARVING myself and taking diet pills so that I could reach this UNREALISTIC and DANGEROUSLY unattainable ideal of “beauty” that society, the advertising and fashion industries have ACCEPTED (and even pushed on us) as “the norm.” It breaks my heart to look back at that photo (where I was obviously very scrawny) and remember that right after I took it I thought to myself, “I still have a ways to go.” For WHAT? A ways to go until I’m so hungry and thin that I’m passing out? A ways to go until you can see my ribs and joints under my skin? Oh, that’s right!!! A ways to go until I can be “happy” with my body and considered “beautiful, thin, attractive, fashionable,” like so many of my female counter-parts gracing the face of magazine covers. It’s no wonder so many of us feel depressed and unworthy. There are very FEW out there (in the fashion/modeling industry) who are representing US, REAL, LIFE, WOMEN! It was so sad to hear several of my friends who commented on my social network post that they also struggled with body-image issues and that they thought they were alone! The best part was the affirmation that I had done something that helped other women be inspired and for them to know they aren’t alone in their struggle for self-acceptance. I am a constant “work in progress” and I have to work on loving myself the way I am, every single day. It’s much easier to do that, when I have GORGEOUS plus-sized role-models to look to and say, “See! Naturally curvy IS beautiful and sexy!”
This is a fantastic article and so true. It gets so depressing to go shopping when you can’t find nice clothes and underwear for your size. I will follow those tips for sure!!!
You ready? ‘Cuz I’m naming names.
About 15 years ago, my mother and I were in Nordstrom’s. We passed a rack of Pendleton separates. The items on the 2 mannequins and the display rack were pink and grey, some plaid fabric, some solid, all mixed together to make a very stylish suit that had 2 Jackets [one blazer and one rib-length bolero], a pleated skirt, a flared skirt, and smokin’ straight-leg, man-styled trousers. There were also 2 blouses, made of a very pretty silk crepe.
Well, you guessed it, situated right out on the main aisle? This was of course, the petites department! They had sizes 8, 10, 12, and 14.
At the time, I wore a size 20.
So, I went off to the “Women’s Department”–located in the farthest-possible corner of the store, and by the way, SHARING a dressing room with the Misses Department.
I described the lovely Pendleton outfits to the saleswoman, who was very happy to tell me that yes, they had that line!
What she showed me was sickening.
There was one jacket . . . the “unconstructed” style, you know, no style at all.
There was one skirt . . . “A” line.
Those Man-styled straight-legged trousers? They had turned into pants with a pleated waist, and TAPERED legs . . . the worst possible style for anyone with any degree of curve to her body.
By my estimate, NONE of the garments in the women’s department used as much material as had been used for the petite garments in the same line.
Petites: SEVEN garments, 2 of which were SILK blouses
Women’s: Four garments, one of which was a polyester blouse of a different brand.
Would anyone care to guess which department’s outfit COST more?
i love this article it is so true even as i try to break into the industry it is hard but love you always because no one will love you like you….nothing wrong with being plus size i love every inch of me and thats something that the fashion industry have to sub come to barriers will be broken and as society change so shall the industry…
*********THIS COPY IS WHAT SHOULD BE APPROVED; The other one contained inaccuraceies*********************
I personally have been on both sides of the fence, I’m 5’9; Right now I am a size 13-14. My lowest weight was 114 lbs (size 4) and my highest 265lbs (size 18). In both cases I’ve had insecurities.
I very much agree with this artical, and I think it’s important to bring to light this issue; especially by raising awareness of what role the media really play’s in regards to our impression of what we SHOULD be.
I do however think that REAL woman come in all shapes and sizes. Big, little, skinny, curvey; We are all beautiful!
Woman especially need to stick together and love one another: the more we do that the more strength we have and there by create awareneess that we should all be treated equally in the world.
Hello everyone, I copy here a wonderful quote I read yesterday in the tube and made my day.
Michael Fassbender a gorgeous Irish-German actor who played in Inglourious Basterds, and X-Men was asked whether he has a certain type of women that he likes, and so he said:
“If a girl is slightly overweight, or you know if she’s comfortable in herself, living life the way she wants to live it, I find that sexy.”
that was in Metro paper 6/1/12 in London.
It is so refreshing to hear men expressing their uncontaminated by media love for the female body.
we all women are brainwashed to believe that we are ugly and men will never look at us if we are not starving.
we have been thinking that media images have not only shaped our body hatred , but also have shaped the taste of men.
we need more variety of healthy female body images, (neither small or big women have to feel excluded), and more men expressing publicly their admiration for the healthy female body.
i think those testimonies by men will have e huge effect to women who suffer with body issues.
danae
Mulherada Plus temos que nos unir, pra acabar com esse ”padrão” de beleza.
I don’t think the fashion world should support obesity, just as I don’t think it should support anorexia. I don’t want to see a skin and bones size 2 on the runway, simply because in most cases it’s not healthy and I don’t believe we should be sending the message that it’s something we should be aiming for or even be okay with. And it’s for those same reasons that I wouldn’t want to see a size 22 woman on the catwalk. It’s VERY rarely a healthy way to live, and I would never want my children to see that and think that it’s an okay lifestyle choice. That being said, I’m not a small girl, but I eat healthy, I work out every day, and I’m a size 8. I just don’t think that being the extreme case, either too small or too large, is a good choice.
As someone who went from a size 16 in high school to developing anorexia and bulimia that I have battled with over the past ten years of my life, I was appalled to find out that there are websites marketing towards teens and young adults that actually post the models heights and sizes underneath the photos of the clothing items, setting an unhealthy and unrealistic expectation of what women’s bodies should look like. I started an online petition for one such company to stop this advertising as I think it is only detrimental to the demographic that they market to
This may have been said already but what a glaringly bad bit of logic in the first part of the article. “20 years ago models were 8% thinner than the average and now they are 23% thinner than the average.” Really?? This should be obvious but…
The models didn’t get skinnier. We as a nation have exploded in size in the last 20 years. That much is obvious to anyone over the age of 30.
I have to agree with the issues we face in regards to obesity. I think the issue is that we all (advertisers and customers alike) focus on size and not health. And it is just as degrading and unacceptable to shame some one for being thin as it is to do so for those who are overwheight. The current BMI scale is grossly out of proportion. It is beyond reprehensible to say that weight and/or size determines what makes an individual a woman. Gender identity is not reliant on the media, or your size, or your weight, or even the parts you were born with. Be who you are, who you want to be. Most of all be healthy and stop discriminating. Think of how awful you feel when someone judges you. How in the world would you think it is acceptable to judge others? Please consider the damage you do to others before you speak.
Face the facts you ladies that are saying that 14 is obese and store shouldn’t have clothes that big. Have you ever been pregnant? Have you ever gained 50 lbs. over 8 months and then tried to get it off again? I know some people have no trouble with this and some people don’t gain that much over a pregnancy. However, many are not so blessed and the weight does not come off or stay off. It came off easy the first time for me, but with the second and third it did not and Ive been between a 16 and 20 ever since. Its NOT just over eating problems. Weight is also a matter of harmonal factors and just plain genetics. Also as we age, those harmones cause other changes. The world view is women should look like they did at 18 for the rest of their lives. That’s rediculous!!! The fashion world says women should look the same as they did at 14. You think I’M MAKING THAT UP? Go check the size and ages of the average model. I see a lot of young girls who have been made up with make-up and then dressed to market clothing to grown women. Look at the runway models. Take a good look at those tall GIRLS and tell me they are old enough to drink coctails at the after party. I don’t think so.
First, that model is not plus-sized in my opinion. She is average and normal. Most of the “regular” models, look like walking skeletons and I know very few women who are beyond the age of 25 that are that thin and not professional performers or models. Secondly, regardless of whether or not there is an obesity problem in this country, if your business is SELLING clothes, wouldn’t it make sense to sell things that fit as many people as possible? Some people have commented that it is wrong to condone a plus-size (or size 22) but just because a clothes maker decides not to make or market to plus-size women, that’s going to solve the problem of obesity? If that were the case everyone would wear a tiny size because every time I go shopping, what’s leftover and marked down are clothes in the size 2-8 that your average woman does not buy. Finding a size 12-14 in a nice outfit is a challenge since they are very popular sizes.
Drop the label “Plus” they are all just models.
18/20 isn’t plus size for many many people. Myself included. The smallest I ever got was a 15 and that was too thin. I am 6ft and large boned. Plus size refers to women who are bigger than they should be on average, that;s the “Plus” part.
60% of women in the US are overweight and it’s hard to lose weight. We want to see ourselves! WE pay through the nose for plus size fashions, we should be given what we want. NO GRANNY CLOTHES and no fit, in shape big girls posing as fat! OKAY I said it plus sized is fat.
I personally don’t except someone who is only big. Someone who is their ideal weight, for their body as a plus size anything. Marilyn Monroe was a 14 in her heyday, she was NOT plus sized. Mo’nique, is. She’s lost some weight and is working to be healthier and that is great! Some of us are destined to always be pudgy. WE get upset because as soon as the sizes go to double digits, in the media, they are called “Plus sized” REALLY? Big boned and 6ft tall, I don’t think my skeleton is a size 10!
Plus size women aren’t really fit. If you can feel you bones, you can’t pinch more than an inch, you’re only indentations denote your stomach muscles and run vertical up to your sternum, you’re NOT plus size. You’re big that’s all. A plus size woman’s folds and generally denotations run horizontally and some parts hang a bit or more than a bit. Chances are, her thighs rub together and she sports “Bingo Wings” instead of sleek upper arms and triceps. I think that’s why we get upset at models who are a 6ft and a size 18. That’s just a big girl! We aren’t seeing “US” out there and we want to!! I am plus size. Mia Tyler, Gabourey Sidibe, Christina Schmidt, Cai Cortez are all plus sized. Kirstie Alley is too and she should embrace it because all that yo~yo dieting will kill her even faster than the weight itself will. And that’s what denying true plus sized woman leads to. People with eating disorders. Can you honestly say that someone who loses and gains 50+ pounds, purposely, over and over again does not have an illness?
Okay that’s enough soap~box time. I said a lot, I know. I hope it made sense because I wrote while I was passionate about the topic. I hope you get my gist!
Noticed that some of the larger clothes will add extra dollars to the price for a garment that is plus sized…yet the same garment in smaller sizes is cheaper. If there is no difference in price from small to X-large…then why is there for plus size? It’s discrimination.
I am a size 16 woman and I agree with what has been said about obesity in the comments. The statistic about the 23% less that the avg. model weighs compared to the avg. woman is undoubtedly affected by the rise in average weight. I am also certain that clothing modeled by actual plus-sized models at size 18 DOES sell less clothing, because many women want to think that outfits will make them look thinner, and if they see a large woman wearing it they may feel like they will also look large.
That being said, however, I eat a very healthy, varied diet with small portions and no junk food. After my son was born, I settled in at size 16 and haven’t changed much in the couple of years since. Should I be made to feel like I am a horrible, ugly person who doesn’t know how to take care of herself because I am curvy? Should I be wearing a tent to highlight my shame for being overweight following the most precious womanly gift imaginable? I don’t want to judge thin women. My sister is very thin and that comes with a whole host of other problems. But I also don’t wan people to call me obese and use me as a poste child for everything that’s wrong with Americaneating habits without knowing mine. And I would like some realistic shopping options so that I can look as professional and sexy as my thinner colleagues.
I am mixed on this article. I am a 16 and unhappy with that. I would like to be a 12 again as that is what I was when I was my most fit at 23. No, I will never be a size 6; but I can be healthier than I am now. Due to the obesity epidemic in the country – and it is a major health crisis – I believe that the average has been skewed upward. That is one side of it.
Now, that said, the other day I saw a casting announcement for “plus sized” models. Guess what the size range was. Go on. Guess!
8-12.
Now, while on the whole tha nation may be larger than before, at no point in the course of current societal mores has a size 8 been even remotely plus sized (except in the fashion world)!
Also, I recently saw an article calling the Victoria’s Secret models “larger” beauties. I am sorry, but on what planet are any of those women “larger”? Taller, certainly, but not larger.
I agree with Scarlett above. The fact of the matter is that being overweight is NOT good for you no matter how much we try to justify it. The same thing is for the super skinny women out there that are equally unhealthy but in different ways. We cannot ignore the fact that over 50% of the U.S. population is overweight and/or obese and that we are getting lazier and unhealthier by the minute. We move less, eat more and eat more of the wrong foods (processed and contaminated with pollutants). Promoting plus size models is not the answer either. Yes, we all need to work with our bodies based on how they are created and no, not everyone can/should look the same. But, saying that being overweight is beautiful and ok is giving people a false sense of what is safe and healthy. We need to move more, eat less and make better choices about our lifestyle. The interesting thing is that 20 years ago this would have never been a conversation nor a part of the media. Hmmmm….
While I agree with the sentiment of this article, I just want to clear something up. There is no BMI category called, “anorexia.” it is called “underweight.” Anorexia is a mental health disorder and should not be confused with the BMi that is just a weight-to-height calculation. Those with anorexia will require mental health care and intervention, while someone who is underweight may suffer from another underlying medical condition or may simply be naturally thin.
Every time someone posts something positive, attempting to get the message out there that we all don’t have to be a size 2, people always jump to the extreme opposite. Yes, being obese is not healthy, but was the article talking about obese people? No, it was referring to the “average” woman. And before you label someone obese, keep in mind that the BMI has changed over the past few years and the new changes labels nearly everyone with some extra pounds “obese”.
When I see ads for clothing, or even as I walk by the stores and their front windows, with a glance I can tell if I should even bother walking into the store. Even if they were to have something in my size, chances are it is not going to look good on me because it was made for a thin girl. But when I see a larger model looking good and sexy, I know that that store will have something for me. Maybe I can look as sophisticated and beautiful as the model. I don’t think I have ever seen a plus sized model wearing something that I was scared would make me loot “fat like her”.
It’s great that your on your high horse, talking about the promotion of unhealthy obese people, and how it’s not right. When the exact opposite is true. Tell me something, would you rather spend the rest of your life hating yourself and the way you look, feeling uncomfortable every time you go out, or would you rather be happy, confidant and loving yourself , even though you may be “overweight”? We have only one life to live. I would rather be happy in my own skin than miserable.
One further comment that should be noted is body shape compared to size and weight. I have a cousin who is five feet tall with DDD breasts. She necessarily wears size 18 shirts because of the size of her breasts, but she is thin in the waist and hips (she wears size 8 pants). Her scale weight is pretty high for her height, so her BMI indicates that she is overweight, but her doctor has repeatedly told her that her weight is healthy, articifically inflated by her breast size. Other studies show that it matters where you carry your weight… belly fat is worse than fat on the hips and thighs. Other women, as noted above, are very tall, or have wide pelvises that inflate their pants sizes.
While the fashion industry can’t possibly reflect the vast diversity of female body shapes and sizes, it is disheartening to note that it continues to promote a single cookie-cutter shape as standard, from which each woman must extrapolate her own shape in similar clothing. It is OUR responsibility to love what we look like NOW and dress nicely the bodies that we have NOW, regardless of our weight loss (or gain) goals; but it would be responsible and lucrative for the fashion industry bigwigs to go outside the office and watch women walk by on the street for a few hours, and see what is lovely about them, and how to make them even lovelier.
Let me give you an inside look at a “plus” size woman. When I was 18 I wore a size 7 and yes I was healthy, but that was in jeans. I wore an extra large in shirts because of the size of my chest. The problem isn’t just with health or with weight. I weighed about 150 pounds which according to the scale of today would have made me grossly obese and mind you this is medical scale. I was in no way obese. I was fit and comfortable with my body. Clothing designers on the other hand are cutting their clothing smaller and smaller because society believes that every woman should look like a plastic barbie doll. I despise clothing shopping and will go to almost any length to avoid it. I used to love to wear clothing that was stylish but it’s a nightmare to find clothing that fits in any shop from the mass market discount stores to boutiques. Generally I now wear only what is termed “comfy pants” and over-sized men’s t-shirts. There is no possible way in which to find clothing that will fit properly. If clothing designers wish people to buy their clothing they need to recognize that not everyone is the same size or shape. Also they need to realize that just because I am not a 15 year old barbie doll it does not mean that I want or would enjoy dressing like my grandmother. The style options for tops in “plus” sizes are hideous. Believe me if I were able to change the size of my chest I would do it in a heartbeat but I really don’t want to have surgery for it and being forced to wear hideous clothing because I have a chest is just wrong. If you want women to buy your clothing you should market attractive clothing that they can wear.
Obesity *in and of itself* is simply a state of having a certain percentage of bodyfat. It is not fashion’s responsibility to make medical diagnoses, and it’s not yours either, unless you yourself are a medical professional. Automatically assuming that an obese person is unhealthy (or lazy) is both misinformed and discriminatory.
Also, it’s shortsighted to assume that a fat person is not actively pursuing healthy lifestyle choices. (I’m lookin’ at you, Kelli.)
Many people, myself included, who have adopted healthy lifestyles and are choosing to lose weight STILL have to buy plus-sized clothes during the transition. No one can immediately go from a size 22 to a size 10. Losing weight takes time. That size-22 person is going to need clothes when she’s a size 20, 18, 16, 14 and 12 — all of which are sold at Lane Bryant. What exactly do you expect us to do? Wear baggy size 22′s and pine for an outfit on a size-00 model until we can fit into straight sizes? Ridiculous. We want to look good in ALL of the sizes we’ll wear on our journey. Like Melissa said above, it is our responsibility to dress the body we have NOW. And we should be able to see what clothes will look like on someone relatively close to our *current* size. Isn’t that what this whole discussion is about anyway?
I agree with the sentiment behind this article. At the same time, I continue to be infuriated by the idea that beauty is a zero-sum game, and that for one type to be deemed beautiful, the opposite must be reviled. In this article, you say, “there is nothing wrong with our bodies.” Yet you also say, “Most runway models meet the Body Mass Index physical criteria for Anorexia”…and the implication is that this is a bad thing. Does it occur to you that, perhaps, there is nothing wrong with their bodies, either? Just like you must hate the assumption that plus-sized people must certainly be unhealthy, the implication that anyone who is thin must be sick is just as damaging, and just as absurd.
I agree with Kelli, and others, who say that bodies should be healthy. I recently lost 20 lbs myself (in my late 30′s, as my hormones were changing), to go from a size 8/10 to a 2/4, not because I was trying to fit some image, but because I was unhealthy! I have a small body frame, and my body fat % was around 35-38%. I was overweight. Now it’s about 22%. Generally, a woman is healthy if her body fat % is between 20-25%. That said, a 6 ft tall woman won’t usually be a size 2. I certainly do not support eating disorders or crazy dieting. I lost weight by putting good nutrition into my body and exercising. However, 66% of our nation is OVERWEIGHT/OBESE. I support women embracing their bodies, and women seeing images of other women who look more like them out there, but honestly, I find myself challenged by a woman who says “I love my body” when she is overweight/obese and at risk for heart disease, diabetes, stroke, digestive issues, reproductive problems, etc. Promoting body love is one thing, promoting body disease is another. Plus size models a size 6–no. Most women a size 0-4–no. But promoting a body that’s a size 20 or larger as “plus size and beautiful”–that’s dangerous too.
I do not have an issue with Plus sized women however I do have an issue with promoting a unhealthy lifestyle. I will never believe that being a size 22 is healthy. If one chooses to remain that size it is a risk one takes with their health.
There should be clothing to represent the norm but I do hope that people someday make better lifestyle choices. I see too many “obese” children today that will sadly face a lifetime of obstacles .
Pingback: Gorgeous Photo of Plus Size Model In Uttanasana – Down Dog and Cats
There is no evidence that a person who is obese but has good metabolic health markers (cholesterol, blood pressure, blood glucose) is or will become sick. Not every body will be healthy when it is obese, but not every obese body is unhealthy. You cannot rightly assume anyone’s health status or habits by looking solely at the size of his or her body. Obese people who are active and fit have the same risk of mortality and illness as people who are not obese and are active and fit, and a lower risk of mortality and illness as people who are not obese that are sedentary.
Discrimination and stigma against those who are obese is not about health. It is about aesthetics alone, and it is morally reprehensible.
The fact of the matter is that we have an outrageous rate of obesity related illnesses and deaths in this country. Underweight models aren’t our problem.
*cough* For all the people who have this perception that overweight = unhealthy, I would just like to point out that I am classified as obese, and I have textbook-perfect blood pressure, heartrate, and cholesterol levels. And that’s with a father who has every heart disease in the book. Am I 100% healthy? No. Is a person of average weight 100% healthy? Doubt it. But you know what? I have just as good of a chance of reaching 80 years old as the person of average weight.
It’s just not that simple, and no matter how hard we all try to pigeonhole people into categories, it’s just not going to work. And the whole point is to be less judgemental. Can we try that, please?
There are so many mistakes in this article.
example
1)Twenty years ago the average fashion model weighed 8% less than the average woman. Today, she weighs 23% less.
(the reason is the average woman is about 20% heavier then 20 years ago models today are only about 3-5 % less then 20 years ago)
2)Ten years ago plus-size models averaged between size 12 and 18. Today the need for size diversity within the plus-size modeling industry continues to be questioned. The majority of plus-size models on agency boards are between a size 6 and 14, while the customers continue to express their dissatisfaction.
( the reason is clothing is vanity sized in America now a size 6 was actually closer to a size 10, 10 years ago. I know this as I design for a major retailer why do you think they make size 0 and 00 now it’s not because people are getting smaller but that has become the old standard size 2 and 4)
Maybe the writer should do more research before writing next time
Another beautiful model here, but again not a plus size model. Is “plus” the new term for “normal size models”???? Apparently so, because most of the models I keep seeing in other places appear anorexic and malnourished.
I applaud stores, manufacturers and publications like yours for addressing the issue. Businesses better start selling what people want to buy or folks will go elsewhere.
I will say two things:
a) My sweetie says, what men like to look at is different than what they like to touch and that most men like to touch someone with a little “frosting”. Unfortunately, IMO, men who want to be with super thin girls exclusively are chasing their own youth or have other issues.
b) Hell, all you have to do to seem “overweight” to the fashion industry is have larger than a B cup and be under 5’5″. ___ forbid you be bigger than an 6. I am glad places like Kohls have had petite clothes in 10-16.
On a side note, in the Gothic subculture, manufacturer sizes run even smaller than “normal” clothing stores. If you are an 8-12, they consider you XL or bigger. This is delusional because most Gothic women I know are easily 14-28. Because of this, a LOT of Gothic women make their own fabulous clothes. Sure, there are some naturally thin women but they are the exception, not the rule.
I have read comments here and I agree with some and others I don’t after all it’s easy for someone who has never been overweight to say; eat less and workout, and get health. It’s not always that easy, there could be issues such as health reasons why one can not cut weight even when they are doing all the right things as other women here have said. I myself am over weight, I know this and I have been working on it since I gained weight and not to my own doing, I eat health and I Workout and I dance Pro (Belly Dancer) so you better believe I get called Fat but you know what I was a size 24 and I am now a size 16-18 I was 350 pounds and now I am 235., and yes it’s a fight because of glans and thyroid issues so I fight. I want a store to have my size and they make it so hard to shop for a Bra (I’m Breast heavy, even when I was skinny) and Jeans so I started making my own clothing, You have to be ok with you, and just because you are a smaller size does not mean you are health, because belly fat is the worse thing no matter if your other body parts are smaller. And yes there should be Plus size models as we have to dress as well, if people think that children will see this and take it the wrong way then you should talk with them, because the very skinny model is no better to follow after, we all will be who we are if we feel the need to change that then it’s up to us, not the runway or anyone else, so that said the clothing stores need to have clothing for ever size. (I have to laugh at that 8-14 said as Plus size LOL…really? WOW not even.
When asked to write a beauty article for a women’s magazine, Audrey Hepburn, considered to many one of the most beautiful women ever to live, quoted Sam Levenson instead:
For attractive lips, speak words of kindness.
For lovely eyes, seek out the good in people.
For a slim figure, share your food with the hungry.
For beautiful hair, let a child run his or her fingers through it once a day.
For poise, walk with the knowledge you’ll never walk alone.
People, even more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed, and redeemed; Never throw out anybody.
Remember, If you ever need a helping hand, you’ll find one at the end of your arm.
As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands, one for helping yourself, the other for helping others.
The beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears, the figure that she carries, or the way she combs her hair. The beauty of a woman must be seen from in her eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart, the place where love resides.
The beauty of a woman is not in a facial mole, but true beauty in a woman is reflected in her soul. It is the caring that she lovingly gives, the passion that she shows, and the beauty of a woman with passing years only grows!
Designers are really narrowing their clientele and missing the $$$ by not catering to women size 6 and bigger. This is a Fast Food Nation as we all work longer hrs. for less pay with more things tugging at our time in between leaving less time for excercise as well. So yes people in Fashion world- real women are size 6 or bigger! Get with the program and target the REAL CONSUMERS or face huge economic loss, and I don’t think you haughty designers can afford that in these Bad Economies, but- maybe Im wrong! Keep on designing for only 0- 4 sizes and I guess you will find out!
P.S. I am a size 6 and having a hard time finding clothes now so COME ON !!!! grrr
bmi says I am obese, even though I am just muscular. people might just me genetically disposed to be low weight compared with their heights.
Perhaps the average woman is getting fatter, because the average person is getting fatter.
That being said, I like thicker women anyway.
I wish I knew how to design clothes. I would design clothes for the average and plus size woman. I just don’t understand why someone who designs clothing, would not design for what the average population is. Either these people already are wealthy and they don’t want to make money, or they have no business sense. I do not believe that they are ignoring “plus” clothing and models because they think that by doing so they are fighting the obesity epidemic and facilitating all women dieting down to a size 8.
And I agree with Jenny–some of the comments here are way off the charts. The model in the photo is not dangerously obese, by any stretch of the imagination. I would buy clothes modeled by her and other “average” (12-18) sized models. And perhaps we need to visit some museums (actually you can look at paintings on the internet now)–the model featured would fit in easily in every era depicted as “average” and beautiful!
We are “plus” size, because we have so much more to ofter!
Sorry to be Devils advocate here, but I remember 60s models from my childhood and they were very thin, just not quite so tall. In the 1960s the vast majority of women were a healthy weight, so I dispute the statistic about how far below the average models now are – the average weight of a woman today is much greater than it was then. TModels, particularly catwalk models, tend to be very very tall now, and they are often very much too thin and unattractively so, particularly on the catwalk – this is a horrible trend and should be stopped and I completely agree with that. But I don’t think the tendency for people to be overweight these days (unknown when I was young) should be encouraged. Some kind of balance is needed. I have struggled with my weight myself through pregnancies and stressful times. I know how difficult it is to become and stay a healthy weight in the modern world. But I think it is worth trying and there are many more resources and so much more knowledge now available on how to do this. I don’t like being beyond a healthy weight myself, I find it uncomfortable and annoying. For me personally a healthy size is 12 – it’s a struggle but worth it for my own comfort.
Excellent article. I made a complaint a couple weeks ago on Winner’s Facebook page (Winners is part of the TJ MAX corporation). Many agreed with me. Here’s a link to my complaint: https://www.facebook.com/Winners/posts/10150435768461374
Additionally, another woman posted a similar complaint, we are being vocal! https://www.facebook.com/Winners/posts/10150468711461374
Ladies, we are NEVER going to agree on this topic simply because we have been brainwashed to believe that being a certain size is acceptable and being another certain size is not. We have become a society where beauty is everything and the yardstick to which we measure ourselves by depends solely on what the “flavor of the week, month, year” is whereas advertising and beauty trends are concerned. Companies make their living from trying to sell their products to us in any way they possibly can and the sad thing about it is that we believe whatever snake oil they sell. Until we can all safely accept ourselves and others for what we are AS we are, no one is going to believe otherwise. the Size 0′s will think they are right and the Size 22′s will think they are right and those in between will think they have to side with one or the other in order to be happy. I for one don’t give a crap either way because I’m not allowing myself to believe that at a borderline Size 12/14 that I am anything BUT healthy, and that is according to my doctor who has many more degrees in medicine than some 20-something advertising snot who doesn’t have a true clue as to what a REAL woman is like or wears. If people are offended by the picture above, that’s your problem but quite frankly, I see a gorgeous woman who is bareing all and proudly because she is comfortable with who she is and what she stands for: TRUE beauty not a bulging waistline. For some of you who seem to think you will always be the same size all of your life for the rest of your life, take heed! It won’t happen. As we age our metabolism changes, it slows and it becomes harder to lose the weight not matter what you do. I’d like to see some of you come back here and post on this subject after you’ve popped out a couple of kids, found that you have absolutely NO time to go to the gym, have reached the age of 40 to 50 and find yourself staring at a packed closet full of Size 8 and under clothes and your waistline is a size 12 or higher. Or when you’ve just had some sort of liposuction to get rid of the fat. Then proceed to tell me and the others here exactly how badly you feel about how hard it is to find clothing to fit you because I doubt you’ll get any sympathy from us.
This is not shocking at all. With little research I found these stats to say why the models are considered so underweight. In comparison to those who are grossly over weight it would appear on the outside they are that thin.
Most women in the US are over weigh which the article fails to point out when saying “- Twenty years ago the average fashion model weighed 8% less than the average woman. Today, she weighs 23% less.” That is because 20 years ago women were not so over weight as they are today so there is a wider disparity.
American Obesity Statistics
USA Obesity Rates Reach Epidemic Proportions
• 58 Million Overweight; 40 Million Obese; 3 Million morbidly Obese
• Eight out of 10 over 25′s Overweight
• 78% of American’s not meeting basic activity level recommendations
• 25% completely Sedentary
• 76% increase in Type II diabetes in adults 30-40 yrs old since 1990
Obesity and America.
How America grew so big! As seen from the obesity statistics , USA takes the cake in having the highest percentage of obese people. The following obesity statistics in US are rather discouraging. This is one growth, the U.S. would do well without. Read about the obesity statistics for US below.
Obesity Statistics in America.
In 20 years, between 1980 to 2000, the obesity figures doubled in the US.
I actually like the term goddess size over plus sized. Most of the ancient goddesses were very voluptuous and full such as Venus. This is a great self esteem builder and reflective of humanity’s long term appreciation for beautiful round women compared to a now limited view base on a small number of individuals.
Plus size models aren’t PLUS size they are average size. Runway models are skin and bones folks who are there to make the CLOTHING look good, not to “model” a woman’s body. All this stuff is just insane!
I appreciate the good effort to call out rampant fat hate in the fashion industry. I also find this image, of a woman wearing no clothes and bending over as far as she possibly can bend over, to be the total opposite of an empowering depction of your stated goal. Really? Haven’t fat women been fucked when it comes to fashion for long enough? I just showed my wonderful boyfriend your image, asking him first to imagine a photo that would exemplify fat fashion inclusivity, he said, “Was I wrong to picture someone with clothes on?” No, he wasn’t wrong!
A body is not something you wear, something you “do” (“You look great! How do you do it?”), it’s just your body. Ask a guy about this–they aren’t told constantly that their body is this, that, or the other thing. They just live. This whole discussion misses that point entirely. Why do we care about our body-size? Because we’re told we have to.
I am an electrician. I head up and down ladders all day long, carry one end of 180-pound wire-axles, lift 120 wire-spools, and hold my arms above my head when working on ceiling-mounted boxes. I’m strong and I love it. My stamina is not that great, but I have a back-injury that keeps me from running so much. This is not “body-image,” this is ME, living in my body. Does the ability to lift 120 pounds, for someone who is 5’6″, sound strong? Does walking up and down ladders 100 times a day sound fit?
I skip most of the fashion world because my clothing has to be of good quality for work, and women’s clothing is usually made to be worn for a year, no more, while doing essentially nothing physical. Even exercise clothing isn’t well-made. I go to a farm-supply store to buy my work-jeans. The fabric weight is approximately twice the fabric-weight of women’s jeans. The pockets are deep enough and sturdy enough to actually HOLD SOMETHING. Then I go home and open up seams in the back of the jeans and make them fit my waistline–thank goodness I know how to sew.
I would like to look elegant when I want to go out, but can I find any clothing to fit my very fit body, and look sexy but not like someone who lets the fashion world define me as a sex-object? Not generally. Lane Bryant seems to be the only store around that markets to that desire, and it’s hard for me to find things that fit my personality even there.
I weigh 180 pounds and everyone guesses about 20 pounds less–muscle looks like muscle, and muscle looks healthy, and healthy is assumed to be “smaller.” Hey–who wants to be SMALLER? Smaller as in less-strong, occupying less EMOTIONAL space in society, having less power in the world, being more defenseless!!!
My doctor likes my weight. She also likes my blood-pressure, heartrate, and cholesterol.
In women’s clothes, my pants are around a 16 to 18. In men’s clothes, I can find a 36-32 or 34-32 in a few minutes, and I know exactly what those measurements mean; in women’s, that same 16/18 will take me hours to find and try on before something fits well. The fashion industry can go to Hades as far as I’m concerned–I just want my daughter to be able to buy clothes that fit her 165 pound, strong, healthy body without being told that she has a weight problem!!! I just want all girls to be allowed to grow up not even THINKING about their bodies, as if that body was some separate entity, and taught that exercise and movement are important measures of good health and attractiveness.
Amy, thank you for writing what you did…
“Obese people who are active and fit have the same risk of mortality and illness as people who are not obese and are active and fit, and a lower risk of mortality and illness as people who are not obese that are sedentary.”
Not true. Weight is an indication of health. NOT BEAUTY. I hear your “story” that because you chose to be over weight the rest of the world is wrong. Its not true.
“Discrimination and stigma against those who are obese is not about health. It is about aesthetics alone, and it is morally reprehensible.” It is a reflection. Simple. How you take it is on you. How are you manifesting yourself in the world? Does your outsides match your insides? Is your outsides a reflection of the internal work you’ve done?
Be your experiences. You body is made up of millions of choices, bites, and behaviors. How you manifest these attitudes and choices is your choice. You do not need to be accepted or praised for being over/under weight. Be authentically who you are and let the rest fall where is will. We are not victims. We make choices.