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 think some numbers are a little skewed when it comes to determining a “healthy” body weight. Runway models are too skinny, bottom line. Have you seen Kiera Knightly?? Yikes! I would sooner stay the size I currently am than EVER aim for something like that.
Larger bodies run rampant in my genetics, so there’s too much I can do about that. I was mocked in high school for being “fat”, when in truth, I was merely “A few extra pounds”. I look back at those pictures now and realize there was NOTHING wrong with my body back then. Then…after being forced to move out of my dad’s and giving up my daily routine of exercise (cycling, rollerblading, etc), I had to move to an area of my city where those activities were difficult to do because of the areas reputation for gangs, etc. I used to bike, walk, and rollerblade to the store, my friends houses, even work when I lived with my dad. I was healthy, but I was still a plus size (18/20).
After dealing with stress and a dead-end job, I began putting on weight. Slowly at first, because I didn’t notice and neither did anyone else. It was when my favorite clothes stopped fitting that I noticed. But I didn’t do anything then, because I had no motivation at that point. I kept gaining until I reached a size 28. My heaviest was right around 310lbs.
I decided enough was enough when I moved in with my bf. I was tired of having to buy huge sizes for an extra cost, so I went on a weight-loss journey (until my weight loss center closed). In about 6-7 months, I went from being 310lbs and a size 28 to 280lbs at size 22. 3 PANT SIZES! I was thrilled! I’m still that same size, even though I have a bit more tummy than I should have (working on that).
I used to get called “whale”, “fat-ass”, and an array of other colorful detrimental names. Now that I’m losing weight, friends and family are noticing, and it feels FANTASTIC to hear someone say, “wow you look amazing!”
Bottom line? I’m comfortable with how I look. I’m by no means a junk-foodie, although I like to snack every now and then, but who doesn’t? As long as you’re making an effort to better yourself for YOU (not anyone else…YOU), be happy that you’re alive and well. Show off that confidence! I buy stylish plus-sized clothing all the time, and I’ve yet to find something UNflattering! Ladies, look up Addition-Elle and Penningtons online. Yeah, they’re Canadian, but they ship to the US! The cater up to 6X if I’m not mistaken!
Sincerely,
A happy fat chick
I am what the model industry would consider the appealing size, I wear a size 3. I hate being this small, I look like a teenager instead of a woman. I would much prefer to be heavier. My doctor would much prefer I be heavier. Men would much prefer I be heavier.
Women are beautiful because of their curves, and while men may seem to find appeal of women in these ads and television and movies, when it comes down to picking a woman in the real world, they don’t choose the stick people.
What makes every woman beautiful is that her shape is unique. You cannot squeeze every woman into some mold of some perceived perfect size, it is simply not practical.
Our society needs to stop judging people by some unnatural persona of perfection and judge individual beauty on what makes each woman special. For some women it’s their breasts, others their legs, or maybe their buttocks, their midriff, their shoulders. Designers should focus on the appeal of different body types and allow a woman to accentuate what makes her beautiful.
We should stop labeling sizes, that is what distorts the perception of what is beautiful, the labels.
Body type should not be a fashion trend.
“You (sic) body is made up of millions of choices, bites, and behaviors.”
My body is made up of cells, tissues and organs. It came through my mother and has her DNA and my father’s, and I embody all of their inheritable health states and those of my ancestors. My body is me. I am not wearing it like a suit; I cannot take off pieces of it and I wouldn’t just to suit anyone else. I am my body, it is not a puppet. The choices I make affect my body, mind and heart; but i don’t become them. I choose to love my body now, as it is. The high cholesterol and height I inherited from my mother, my father’s barrel chest, brown hair and eyes, the shape and size it is due to genetic baseline, my eating/exercise habits, weight cycling and giving birth. It is me and I love myself, and I will not wait until it meets some arbitrary size criteria before I decide it is worthy.
And here, read this: http://www.uoguelph.ca/hhns/grad/pdf_grad/HBNS6710W08BlairandBrodney.pdf
“active obese individuals actually have lower morbidity and mortality than normal weight
individuals who are sedentary”
and this: http://www.cbc.ca/news/health/story/2011/12/06/fitness-weight-heart.html
and this: http://thinkmuscle.com/health/obesity-health-metabolic-fitness/
and watch this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=aUaInS6HIGo
Then post some sources of your own that indicate obesity causes illness. And I mean it when I say “cause”. There is no denying that some behaviors are healthier than others, but there is no evidence that it is weight and not those behaviors that cause health problems.
i’m just thankful i have a man who loves me as i am and WANTS a woman with CURVES! He says it’s no fun looking for a handhold on a board.
I have been a size 8, I have been a size 18…I am somewhere around a 14 again. What are the reasons…improper diet at times, stress, inappropriate job for me, the big big one is Fibromyalgia. A chronic pain condition affecting my muscles, my sleep etc etc. It makes life difficult to function some days, very difficult. Some days I can hardly walk. It is hard to get proper exercise this way. Not to mention that I also have a size DD chest, even at the smallest size. I would love to wear stylish, well cut comfortable affordable clothing without having to search second hand or resale operations. I can find sweaters, simple long sleeve shirts…everything else is a crap shoot.
Some women are naturally thin- that would be me.
I eat more than most that are twice my size and do gain an ounce.
Health is what is important, not size, or a number on a scale.
Criticism needs to end all together; criticism against people who are plump, and equally criticism against people who are thin.
BMI says I am 30 lbs underweight. I am 5’8″ and weigh 112 lbs on most days- And I just had my third baby 4 months ago. And it is difficult not to allow others to make me feel shameful of my size or weight. Fact is my entire adult life, with the exception of being pregnant, I have always kind of fluctuated between 110-120. My pregnancy weights were 136 with the first, 147 with the second, and most recently 157.
People come in all shapes and sizes. It is the heart and mind within that person that is of value.
Post script… Just a quick fact of history: Ten years ago when model average size was between 12 and 18. Those sizes where different than what we think of today. A 12-18 size then is a 5-12 today. As manufacturers noticed the women’s fixation on size, they started dwindling the the size numbers. It was a marketing scheme as to fool women into thinking they were smaller than the other brands that they would have to wear a larger size in.
Eat well, indulge in the sweeter things life has to offer, love yourself for who you are, and love others for they are.
Loretta Allen thank you for your beautiful post. I will be passing this on to other women young and old. As a mother and grandmother I have bounced my way up and down the scale due to pregnancy, back injury and now my most dreaded disease hypothyroidism. This has afforded me the experience of seeing how differently the world treats a woman based on their size. I have walked in the shoes of the thin, normal & obese. I know the prejudice shown to women who are heavy and the praise of being thin. In my younger years it was stated as if it was something great that I achieved when in reality it was the luck of the draw of my pre-pregnancy genes. The fashion industry does have some real responsibility in our views of ourselves but we as women also need to take responsibility to teach our young women the attitude expressed by Audrey Hepburn and speak out against the barbie images that women are contorting themselves to fit into regardless of the cost. TV shows such as the real housewives, the Kardashians and Jersey Shore are teaching young girls that being barbie doll thin with big fake boobs is beautiful. These shows support a narcissistic lifestyles that cheapens women and place a woman’s value on her looks not her talents or brains turning back all of the progress women have made in the past 30 years.
I have been following this topic since it was posted and I am insulted and offended the women who are commenting about this website and the assertion that they, or more accurately, WE, are “promoting obesity”. These women are not the target audience here and the fact they think that it is their job to chastise us and yet again call us fat and uninformed and assume that we are somehow inferior to them, based on nothing more than body size, is infuriating! That train left the station years ago ladies. We are who we are, in all of our curvy glory, and we are strong, smart, healthy, beautiful, intelligent women. We love ourselves enough to stand up and demand respect and acceptance and fair treatment in all avenues, including fashion. So go a way skinny girls, this site is not an invitation for you to carry on with your mean girl comments and hate. I sincerely hope that you are not instilling your insecurities and body image issues in your daughters; I hope that you are teaching them to love themselves and that every single ounce of them is beautiful, no matter what the scale or a clothing size or a fashion magazine tells them.
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For the record, I range between size 18-22, even though I eat extremely healthy and exercise up to 15 hours a week. I haven’t eaten fast food in over 5 years. I have more stamina and strength than many thinner people. My doctor says my numbers all look good (cholesterol, blood pressure, etc.) At the same time, my mother has now lost so much weight from being in cancer treatment that she is now considered at a “healthy” weight.
Weight and health are two separate things, folks.
(Wish I could find more cute workout clothes in my size…would be easier for people to exercise if they could find cute workout clothes!)
For the clothing industry to not make clothing to fit everyone is a bit bias. People come in all shapes and sizes. That should be respected I agree.
I do not agree with your statement – “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.”
I believe that We are bombarded with weight-loss ads every single day, multiple times a day beacuse our government, American Medical Association, Food And Drug Administration and physicians are making a killing. There is no money in well people. More and more chemicals are being placed in our foods causing people to become ill or gain weight beyond their control, more people are taking prescription medications that cause them to gain weight beyond their control. Fast food is one of the most convenient culprits of weigh gain around.
Yes it is a multi-billion dollar industry, not preying on the fear of being fat, but just another money making scheme created by our own government to earn a few extra bucks. After all, these businesses are told to pay taxes & must purchase a business license to operate legally.
Societies vision of beauty is a bit obscured, but there is nothing wrong with the way you are born. That is something you can not help. Beauty is not what’s on the outside. Beauty is held within.
What you can do is take a more healthy approach to life. Grow your own foods when possible, Or Eat local grown organic foods. Take time to make time and ensure you know what you are putting in your body. Making healthy choices is easier and much less time consuming that today’s “Conveniently brainwashed” society thinks it is.
Do research on any medications your physician is prescribing to ensure not only that you actually NEED it, but also that it is not going to cause you to become ill. Go one step further and seek homeopathic remedies instead.
I was a size 5 prior to having kids, I have ranged from a 12 to an 18, and after 4 c-sections clothes just don’t fit the same. I know my physic is due to some unhealthy eating habits as well as not enough exercise, however it would be nice to see some real woman in ads. I hate trying on an outfit that is advertised or on display, because it never looks that way. Woman have curves, and it is very hard finding a store that not only sells cute clothes, but also cute under attire as well. I mean just because we might have a larger size chest, does that mean that we can’t were cute bras? Its almost to the point where I completely dislike even shopping at all. Its nice to see someone addressing the issue.
im a big lady any where from a 24 to 28 depending on the make of cloths its not fair im only 22 id like to be able to wear cloths that are in style but most places think because your big you are only goin to want ugly cloths i want nice cloths that are in style and the only way i can do that is if i go to a store that is ment for big girls but then you have to spend alot just because we are big dont make us rich lol its so hard to find bras that fit since im a 48 DD and when i do find on its 50$ and for a simple shirt that migh be instyle i find myself spending anywhere from 50 to 70 $ yet u can go to a store like wal mart see the same kind of shirt for a small girl 5$ its really not fair
This is a wonderful and VERY important article and I applaud you for it! I write a size acceptance blog and honestly, each day I wish that the topic would become obsolete. The continued pressure on women (and now men) to conform to a one size fits all mentality is destructive. One piece I wrote is entitled, I’m a Perfect Size ME! http://www.leftoverstogo.com/2011/08/27/i-am-a-perfect-size-me/
It took me years of work to get to the point where I am no longer yo yo-ing from diet to diet…just visiting the size 4 land temporarily. I am happier now and healthier! Please keep spreading the word of self and size acceptance.
Warmly, Dr. Deah Schwartz, Leftoverstogo.com
I have been a professional photographer for over 35 years now and I have worked with models of all shapes and sizes.
The one that stands out was a most amazing young woman who’s day job was an electrician and she was modeling to make some extra cash for her daughter.
She was fit round and strong with just amazing curves and lines to her body and an amazing confidence that the camera loved.
I could have worked with her for the rest of my life and never got tired of her shape.
It is a photographers job to make a model look great, it is not the job of a model to make a photographer look competent.
I have never been below a size 14 my entire adult life. I used to live an extremely unhealthy lifestyle. I did drugs, I didn’t eat, I didn’t sleep. Two kids and almost 10 years later I am LUCKY if I fit into a 16, but fluctuate up and down upto 18/20. Not only is it hard to find extended widths being 5 ft 10 it is damn near impossible finding pants that fit me right. I am finally comfortable in my own skin. My happiness is my own responsibility, not the medias. We are all blessed in our own way. Some of us are divinely curvey, others gloriously thin. On that note: I happen to not be blessed with many pairs of pants I actually like.
One angle on this is missing from the discussion… personal perception.
I’m a woman of (ahem) some years, as in “I have three adult children”, and I’m now 5’7. I have weighed as much as 224, and, briefly, as little as 88. I stopped that particular diet only because my bff confided that everyone was sure I had cancer – at 19yo – but I still looked fat to *me*. I currently wear anywhere from a 7 to a 13 depending on brand, item and how closely it fits. (yes, juniors’ sizes; they fit me better because I have noassitol). I have NO idea what I look like; mirrors do not show my eyes what other people see. Given the clothing I see many other women wearing, I suspect I’m not the only one with this problem in one direction or the other.
I know my self image is messed up, I know how it got that way (media was only part of the equation), and I know it isn’t going to change. I know the models are undersized; I was offered a contract as a plus-sized model when I was in my 30′s and weighed 138 – I was not auditioning, I was there for moral support of a young lady who WAS, and I’m pretty sure I was the smallest woman in the room. At that time, I was shocked. They made it clear that they were not interested in women who were actually the sizes they would be selling, blaming it on “the camera adds ten pounds”. Therefore, my task is to function within these parameters and still choose clothes that look acceptable on me.
I find the concept of posting the model’s height and weight very helpful, because *I* cannot translate a size number (especially with vanity sizing) into a mental visual image to determine if I can expect that item will look anything like that on ME. I would like it very much if those models came in a larger variety of sizes, and when I was heavier, I would have very much appreciated some attention to tailoring for curves instead of the sack look.
Are we moving towards that goal? We have made some progress but we have a long way to go.
Are you being marketed effectively by the brands who want your dollars? No. All the clothing companies that offer plus size can do better.
Side Note: After reading the comments, I notice people are really ignorant about size and health and eating disorders. People really need to do their research and analyze their data. It is not wise to talk about subjects that you are not well versed in. In addition, sound objective information is the best. There are a lot of junk science out there but I know people believe what they want and do not care about the truth.
I see a lot of “Neither extreme is healthy” comments which, is correct. Morbid obesity is as unhealthy as an anorexic/bulemia victim. But the problem here is this: All women are different. There are tall slim women who can’t get below a size 16 and there are short obese women who fit in the 20′s and above. The fashion industry is trying to hit a happy medium that can’t be found, but err on the side of what is “attractive”. Why are we allowing them to dictate to us what is and is not attractive?
It troubles me that articles like this completely gloss over the fact that obesity is an epidemic, that it is getting worse every year, and that it is directly related to the leading cause of death in this country (heart disease), in addition to a number of other ailments (diabetes and so on). Yes, models are much thinner than the average person, and are even much thinner than a normal healthy person (what few of those are left), and yes, that’s bizarre. However, it doesn’t justify a reactionary position that being as big as a Honda Civic is perfectly healthy. It’s not.
“…it’s a multi-billion dollar industry that preys on the fear of being fat.” That statement contains the reason for the following and the following statement is the reason for the first one – interchangeable, really: …”because our government, American Medical Association, Food And Drug Administration and physicians are making a killing. There is no money in well people.” The two statements by different writers are related – cause-and-effect. If there is indeed a money-making scheme as alleged, it is successful because of people’s fears of being fat and the consequences of being so. There is no doubt in my mind that excess weight can cause health problems; it happened to me, and when I lost weight, my health improved. But the issue here is that the inspired fear is what leads to the never-ending cycle of weight loss and re-gain and the explosion of ever more diet plans, a part of our culture that will always be prominent. Our society’s lifestyle and habits will see to that.
Megan 7:40pm Jan 7 said, “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.”
Actually, if you look up the criteria for diagnosing anorexia, it’s basically being underweight and refusing to try to gain weight so, um yeah, most who are underweight fit that category. There are actually exceptions of people who are have a high metabolism or an extremely active lifestyle (Christina Aguilera AND all her dancers had this happen on a tour where they were having shows almost every night) where they may not be refusing to maintain a decent weight.
Now, I struggle with my weight but this argument that people were built to be size 20 and more is crap. We were not made to work in offices and have food that all we do is put it in the oven. We were made to be living off the land, walking around picking fruits and vegetables and running after animals to capture and slaughter them for food. Now we have technology and it makes so many things easier for us. These are calories we are not burning through daily activities.
Nevertheless, I’m sick and tired of hearing/reading online guys and skinny little girls tell me that girls are supposed to weigh about 110 pounds. They think only the tallest girls are allowed to be 130 or so. Well, 5-3 Shakira is 131 and not fat! The obsession with refering to thinner women as more in shape makes me mad! I’m 5-4, 160 pounds and size 12, I can run over 2 and a half miles without walking, just the other day I had an exchange with this girl online who is going into the Army. She has cheered and danced and thinks she’s in shape but her heart rate goes through the roof when she slow jogs barely above a brisk walk (4.5 to 5 mph) and she can’t stand it so much she doesn’t do more than 5 minutes. Thin does NOT equal healthy!!!
Oh and the weight loss ads are not a conspiracy by the government. They come from people/business who want to make money and they know that most, women especially, want to lose weight so there is money to be made in that industry. They are trying to “get theirs,” that’s all.
What’s wrong with plus-sized women? They are fat. Fat is bad for us, it’s bad for the environment, it makes us drain societal resources for our extra health-care costs. Obesity is an illness that requires monumental effort to control, like alcoholism. In case you think I’m a fat-hater, I am fat myself. I have been skinny, I have been fat, I’m fat right now, and fight every single day against it. I have lost weight and cannot keep it off. I’m pretty good looking (in clothes), have a loving family and friends and a pretty wonderful life about which I can complain very little. I am very grateful. But I have bad genes, in terms of a tendency to love food too much, to have a weak will in general, to hate exercise, all of that. But I blame myself, and work every single day to be thinner, work out at least 5 days/week, run in races, walk everywhere, and I think everyone should. Fat people place burdens on themselves and on the rest of us. Life is not fair, and our burden is that they must work extra hard to control themselves, which is very very difficult. They, we, have to keep trying.
Audrey B, I hate you.
Here’s an obese woman’s applause for Audrey B.’s comment. I’m sick and tired of awareness for the big women (THAT WOMAN ON THE PICTURE ISN’T BIG, BY THE WAY!) and of people expecting me to dislike thin women. Because thin women aren’re people? They’re the devil?
Can’t know if Audrey B. is right about the change in size labels – although it sounds about right – but fact is: 20 years ago, the average woman was substancially smaller than today, because obesity wasn’t an epidemic yet.
I’m all for supporting all kinds of shapes, but when I see something that’s supposed to be in favour of big women, and then WHAM they slap a foto like that one up there, well then I just loose it!
Making the distinction and calling them “plus sized” probably has something to do with it. Stop distinguishing. They’re called “women”, not “thin women” or “fat women”.
We have to remember that the majority of designers are men who mostly are gay. Now I love and respect my gay brothers all over the world, love you love love love you all. However, the standard of what looks good to them is the flat bodies of the male structure. Even watching “Project Runway” one of the designers complained that the woman had breasts. How many times have we heard that clothes fall better on skinny bodies? So, as a fellow artist, who designs my own knitted garments that look awesome on my curves, can you break out of that thought square and live a little in the round? It’s a lovely place to be, and to think about how to accentuate an arc vs. a ruler.
For those of you who think that we glossed over the Obesity Epidemic, here are my personal thoughts as editor of PLUS Model Magazine.
There are all sorts of epidemics rights now which include cancer, auto immune diseases, and a myriad of eating disorders. We are not advocating an unhealthy lifestyle, but the right to have as many fashion options as the next size 2, 6 or 8 woman.
This is not about health vs non healthy women because if that was so, MOST of the models on the runways in NY and Paris would not be walking. Not eating for DAYS at a time can’t be healthy but I don’t see anyone proclaiming how unhealthy it is and yanking them off the runway and denying them fashion.
This blog post is about those plus-size women who do embrace their size and want to be treated, marketed to and accepted as equals!
I think being plus size is great and all, Wooh-Hooh to my gut! yes but we ignore the fact that when being used for advertisements companies want to appeal to the audience attention by using someone thin and pretty to create productions of media and we as a society can identify who is beautiful and who is not. The fashion industry creates these images when they publish their collections in magazines and through celebrities and get identified as “snobby rich” people . The fashion industry is a unique and selective group of people who are superficial and believe in thinness and designer clothing. These fashion trends then get passed on through less expensive store and that trend follows with us middle/working class.
We as a middle class society would have to completely ignore the trends and set aside our own beauty sense and feel beautiful for who we are and not what you see on magazines and movies. Girls in any sort of Hi-end media will look beautiful from a created vision of mostly liking men who run those communication barrens. (just saying)
I believe with Americas rapid growth in body mass retailers will start to order larger sizes, I see them all the time..
<3
I think being plus size is great and all, Wooh-Hooh to my gut! yes but we ignore the fact that when being used for advertisements companies want to appeal to the audience attention by using someone thin and pretty to create productions of media and we as a society can identify who is beautiful and who is not. The fashion industry creates these images when they publish their collections in magazines and through celebrities and get identified as “snobby rich” people . The fashion industry is a unique and selective group of people who are superficial and believe in thinness and designer clothing. This is who they simply are though and we let this “dream world” sink so much in our head that we lose our own self. These fashion trends also get passed on through less expensive store and that trend follows with us middle/working class.
Simple answer to this article. What is wrong with plus side bodies, most guys dont like them/want them. Physically there is nothing heath wise that is wrong with a average size – plus size woman, but if you ask a man if he wants a skinny or plus size woman, I would bet that the skinny girl gets more votes.
Why are these models even labeled as Plus? Do we call thin models Boney? Is there a Boney Model Magazine? Why OH Why can’t we celebrate women of all different shapes & sizes? And BOOOO to the magazine editors (i.e. Anna Witnour) for perpetuating the idea that curves are somehow ugly or undesireable!
V Hanson’s comment is perfect. Thank you for that!!!
Warmly, Dr. Deah Schwartz, leftoverstogo.com
It’s very important to support companies that do cater for all sort of women, not just the thin ones.
There is a brand in Australia called Katies that does the most amazing jeans, totally designed to flatter curves. I shouted them from the rooftops and told all my friends (normally I wouldn’t do things like that) and I made sure to write on their Facebook wall to say thanks.
Vote with your dollars. I hadn’t bought a new pair of jeans in four years – when I found these ones and felt like a company actually designed something for me – I bought FOUR PAIRS from them.
Money talks.
I hate it when I’m watching TV and I see a commercial with an anorexic girl modeling a really cute outfit, because I know I can never wear it. I end up turning off the TV knowing that there will just be more commercials with size zero girls on them. Shopping is really difficult too. There is never anything in my size, and if there is, I wouldn’t ever wear it because it’s not me. Now most of my clothes are either hand made by family, or hand-me-downs from my cousin, because it’s just so hard finding clothes I fit in. And here’s a news flash for reality, I may be bigger than your stick figure models, but I feel better about myself because at least I’m not purging because I feel bad about my weight. And i can eat how I want because I’m not worried about whether or not I’ll gain an ounce. I’m proud to be heavier. And so are a lot of my friends. You can tell us how you think we should look, but we’re never gonna listen because your girls might fit into the latest fashions, but we’re getting the guys who won’t break our hearts. So chew on that. Or are there too many calories?
I see many folks commenting on the model and ad section of the article. However, what really struck me was the fact that 50% of women wear 14 or above, but very few stores cater to these women. As a plus size woman myself for years I have complained about the fact that I had to go to a “special” store to purchase clothes, or a completely different section of a department store hidden behind the bedding section. In a professional career it has been especially difficult to find suits and proper attire that doesn’t look like my grandmother’s couch. Wake up make us feel like people, expand options at clothing stores.
I won’t make any comments regarding the ethics of model size, but I want to be clear about your statistics, because they seem misleading. You say, “Twenty years ago the average fashion model weighed 8% less than the average woman. Today, she weighs 23% less.” Twenty years ago, women weighed about 20lbs less on average (144 instead of 164). If the average model weighs 108-125 (let’s say 125), then even if the model’s weight hasn’t changed, in 1990, she would have weighed 13% less than average women in 1990, and 24% less now. That has nothing to do with the models’ weight.
Second, you say that plus sized models are about 3 sized smaller than they were 20 years ago.However, since 1990, sizes have been scaled down. What used to be a size 10 is now labeled 4 or 6. So even the same size 14 model from twenty years ago would have gone down two or three sized without having gotten any smaller!
Therefore, based on your data, models have only gotten about 5% smaller by body weight, which is 5 or 6 lbs.
Everyone should strive to be healthy. Part of being healthy for me means having to be a vegetarian. It seems to me that hating designers for not catering to the needs of the overweight would mean I should also being hating a restaurant, or the supermarket for not catering to the vegetarians (they do carry meats of all varieties that I have to look at every time – and most restaurants would use the same grill for steaks as they would veggies). Come on guys! If we don’t like a restaurant, we don’t go there. This is asking the designer to design something to fit you as opposed to something congruent with their vision, which is like asking Michalengo not to paint the Sistine Chapel because you think the Last Judgement would not be enjoyed should people have to crook their necks to see it. Gain some perspective or people are not going to hear what you’re actually trying to say.
No one is denying anyone of fashion, this concept is archaic at very least. Shame on your editor for her closed mindedness. Clearly Plus is capable of styling over 5 years of issues, which means the clothes are out there.
Speaking of past issues, the size difference between august 2009 and October 2011 is comparable to what separates a size 4 from a size 14, yet you are classifying them both as “plus”. There are so many more health issues at hand from improper eating than being too under or too over weight. One could be happily average, but have ruined internal organs from malnutrition rendering them as unhealthy as the over and under weighters.
Focus on health and happiness of body and mind. Be the person you want to be. We are all capable of change should we choose it.
Lively observer: that analogy is not a good one. A vegetarian is a minority in the food world. (I was a vegan and a vegetarian so I know what it’s like). Plus sized women are NOT a minority in the women’s clothing market. Actually if 50% of the restaurants catered to vegetarians (and vegetarians don’t make up 50% of the U.S. and Canada’s eaters for sure) they would go out of business. Yet, 50% of the women in the U.S.A. wear a size 14 or larger and that makes women that size half of the population, NOT a minority. If we were only 10% of the population then it would be understandable that most of the clothes are not designed for “plus” sizes.
As far as artistic/creative vision, it’s true that we cannot dictate what inspires the designer. However we can walk with our wallets and patronize those stores that do create and market nice fashions. I have not read this website before and I don’t read ANY women’s magazines because I don’t like the cheesy superficial stories and the fake looking models, so I’m unaware of where those stores are. I happened to find this article only because someone posted it on my FB page. Maybe the stores that do market nice plus size clothing should start putting up FB pages and that way the word will get out and we can stop spending our money at stores that make cheap ugly clothes for plus size women (and charge MORE for it) and also refuse to advertise it on more shapely models. I currently wear size 12-14 in my middle age so it is not that hard for me, but I definitely sympathize with the bigger women, especially younger women (20s and 30s) who want to look their age and not like a middle aged woman or a grandma.
I was excited when I saw the title and premise of this article…but as usual there is promotion of the idea that ALL body types exist and should be appreciated. People look at me with clothes on and assume I have an eating disorder, in a bikini they see I just (genetically) am predisposed to have this body type. I have had less than an A cup since puberty and it doesn’t look like anything will be growing there in my thirties. I was called bulimic before I knew what it meant. Lately in all of the fitness magazines I read, I see the phrase “Real women have curves.” News to me, my grandmother and all the other women on my dad’s side of the family. I think all sizes can be beautiful as long as they are healthy. Thin, Lean, Curvacious, Voluptuous, Statuesque, Sporty….women come in ALL sizes. The supermodels I have seen recently to a full regime of high-intesity low-impact cardio to maintain lean frames. (Yes, the runway industry is a culprit of what this article described and so is the ballet industry I was so genetically suited for…..) But the answer to over skinny, is not taking the extreme on the other side but accepting EVERY woman’s body type. Some of us are “boy-shaped.” I cried the first time I heard that, or “The wall’s getting jealous.” So, since I don’t fit this new ideal do I need to go get breast implants and butt injections? There is no reason to dictate to a society what is acceptable in appearance. The answer is teaching acceptance of all. There is nothing wrong with anyone’s body as long as they are healthy, active and happy.
Change needs to happen in the food that we eat and the chemicals we put into our bodies. We keep getting bigger and bigger and YES OF COURSE IT’S UNHEALTHY! As much as I want to support any argument against anorexic models, this one just doesn’t hold water. A size 16 today is about a size 8 30 years ago. I for one do NOT think it’s okay to tell women, it’s okay to be unhealthy, we’ll just show you bigger models and bigger clothes. ???!!!!?? I think it’s clear the difference between average model size and average female size is not b/c the models have gotten smaller. It’s because middle america has gotten more and more unhealthy. Do I think everyone has to be a size 2? Absolutely not. Do I think it’s okay to tell women to embrace their size 14 because it’s the AVERAGE? Heck no.
Signed,
A plus size woman trying to get HEALTHY
Love the comments!! Lots of excellent points to consider.
This may be a social issue on one extreme, but 50% of women being a size 14+ is (in part) a health issue on the other end of the spectrum. And that presents a struggle and the conflicting messages contribute to many insecurities and eating disorders – IMO speaking from my personal experience.
I find it absolutely ridiculous that the model in the picture above is considered a “plus size” model. She is gorgeous and looks so healthy. I think that numbers on a scale don’t matter but there is a difference between healthy and skinny as well as healthy and curvy. Both anorexia and obesity are a problem; which is why its so important to eat healthy and exercise. However, all women are created differently, some are hourglass shaped, some pear shaped, and some are straight up and down like a ruler. There is no, “one size fits all” weight for a certain height or body type. Women need to learn to embrace their bodies and respect themselves. “God created man in his own image,…male and female he created them….God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.” (Genesis 1:27-31)
She is plus sized? Really? shaking my head. that’s the problem right there.
I’m a plus sized women around a size 18/20 and rather large framed. I have been in this size forever no matter my weight! I’m working on becoming healthier, but let’s face it, if it were easy everyone would be healthy. I generally have a great body image, but the constant bombardment of super skinny models can be hard on self esteem. I think personally there is nothing wrong with Plus Size models, healthy is different for everyone and girls today NEED healthy role models. I find it funny that some claim this magazine promotes obesity, well I say they promote eating disorders and poor self image. Oh and as for the comment that men don’t like bigger girls, that’s SO not true! My boyfriend of 3 years is actually pretty fit, and absolutely loves me for the way I am! So, girls find a man that loves you for you..through thick and through thin..
Thank you Audrey for your comment!
I saw this link on facebook, and had to add my two cents to this interesting discussion.
I was a model from age 16-18, but have since left the industry to focus on college. I am very thin and 6’0″. I think in the attempt to bring awareness to more “normal” body types, we have become all too accepting of putting down the typical body of a model. Models are called “unnatural,” “gangly,” and “anorexic.” However, most models are very young and have not fully developed, or are naturally thin. At age 16, I was 5’11″ and 120 pounds. My BMI classified me as underweight. (No, I am NOT that skinny anymore. I have just barely made it into the normal range.)
I remember after one runway show, a photographer tagged a picture of me on facebook. A women commented on the picture saying, “Beautiful dress, but the model is TOO skinny!!!” I was humiliated, and I remember crying, and wondering why a grown woman would make a comment like that about a young girl who was clearly able to read her comment. I was a young, self-conscious, impressionable teenager, but no one seemed to care that I might have feelings too.
Instead of judging people by their appearance, why can’t we understand that some people are naturally skinny and some are naturally curvy. As long as you are healthy and happy, it shouldn’t matter what size you are. I was healthy then, and I am healthy now. My friend is a size 12, and she too is gorgeous and healthy. I guess my point is, just as we shouldn’t put down a heavier woman, neither should we put down a thin woman. Personally, I understand why fashion designers and photographers want thin models, since I have experienced the industry. Instead of focusing on replacing seemingly “too thin” or “anorexic” models with more normal, “curvy” models, why don’t we focus on being accepting of ALL body types. (I do agree we could use more variety in models, but not just in size – in conventionality of beauty and ethnicity as well.)
I feel like I’m constantly hearing the mantra, “Curvy is beautiful. Men WANT curves.” Shouldn’t it be: “Every woman is beautiful. Men WANT a woman to be herself.” ?
Ok, genius’ here – the AMA, govt., doctors, or anyone else you want to be paranoid about, do NOT make money if they promote weight loss and educate the public about the health risks with our children and adults becoming more obese by the minute. If “their” advertising campaign worked and everyone lost weight and was healthy – they’d be poor, and no one would see them for help. So your illiterate theory contradicts itself. If they wanted to make money, they’d make sure we all got super obese and had heart disease. The dieting industry is mostly fad products promoted by private companies. There are few diet drugs on the market, and they don’t make money because they don’t usually work in the long term.
Also, please take responsibility for YOUR eating habits. Medications do not make you fat, EATING too much and not exercising does. If you are on a med that increases your appetite (and there are very few that do this), you need to be aware and have some self discipline. I love it when people find any scape goat to hide the fact that too many calories in and not enough being burned equates to an over weight body. Just plain and simple math. Eat too much = overweight.
And not taking medications that are needed for illnesses, being paranoid that your doctor, a person that spent their lives devoted to studying the human body and how to heal it are “out to get you,” (as well as other govt. conspiracies) and relying on yet another BILLION dollar industry, the whacko, totally unregulated, processed in third world country crap that is in health food products, holistic products and some natural remedies is just plain ignorant.
Please, just keep it simple – you don’t need magic powders from India or a pound of garlic pills to stay healthy, and rest assured it won’t cure your cancer – that billion dollar industry relies on people that will buy ice from eskimos..Eat a well balanced diet, low in saturated fats, and simple sugars and high in WHOLE foods, i.e. the kind that came from the ground or a tree or a plant – not from a jar or a hippy health food store, and exercise – and you will stay healthy outside of things we can’t control like what ailments we inherit. Take meds when you need them though. And FYI doctors don’t make a “killing” anymore..those days are well over. If you want someone or something to attack, look at the health insurance industry and healthcare administers salaries instead. Even still, just because someone makes more money than you, doesn’t always mean they are on a mission to destroy the world or yours or that they automatically have ill intentions.
Firstly, te main idea of this article is that women who wear a size fourteen or larger want more stylish clothing choices. Women of ALL shapes and sizes want clothes that do not look like they belong on your curtain rod.
Now as a plus size woman myself I concede that if you are overweight/obese (obese being having a BMI of 30 or higher) if you suffer from other comorbities it DOES pose serious health risks/diseases increasing your risk of heart disease,, stroke, heart attack or diabetes. Now, if you are let’s say a size ten and you don’t have any of these health problems nor do you have extra visceral fat surrounding your internal organs and your doctor says you are healthy then there is no reason whatsoever for you to feel bad about being your size. It is a fact that a person can have a normal BMI and fat surrounding their internal organs which is not healthy.
As other people have pointed out, yes Americans today are more dependent on technology therefore making Americans unhealthier every year. We as a nation need to eat less processed foods and get more physical activity. Another historical fact is that Americans used to walk ten thousand steps a day in their normal lives…the average American is lucky to get three thousand steps a day. Here’s a thought for you on that, how many times do you see people’s circle a parking lot looking for the spot closest to an entrance as opposed to parking farther away and walking?
I guess my long winded point is if a PERSON who is overweight/obese has been deemed otherwise healthy aside from excess body weight, who are we as a society to judge that person? And please, if you are not a man or a lebsian, please don’t tell us what is or isn’t attractive because every person has their own idea of what is attractive or beautiful? And after all, who doesn’t want to feel beautiful?
Dear Mimi,
I am sorry, but your comment absolutely set me on edge. What you say about the industry is what is wrong with the industry. The fashion industry uses barely developed girls – your words, roughly – to market to fully developed women. And then we all hate ourselves for not being built like the 16 year old painted to look 25! That is sick!
You also say you understand why they want to use thin girls. Please, enlighten us as to why. Less fabric? Is that it? Or is it that deep down they all believe *thinner women look better in clothes*? Well, guess what? This size 16 is sick of all that shit! And I am sick of being subtley brainwashed into thinking that I am not “good enough” to wear “pretty clothes” because I am not naturally thin – like a model.
The fashion indsutry can kiss my round ass.
Youth is beautiful in any silhouette– thin, medium, heavy. But aging is not pretty. What I’d like to see is plus sized models (speaking of myself) who are 48 and up! Why stop at pretty and young, and abundant, put in abudnance of age, too.