Is plus-size modelling beneficial or harmful to society?

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edit: I looked it up and plus size for modelling is size 10 or above. If you are under a size 10 you very badly need to gain weight

You can be a size ten and still have a pretty high body fat percentage. I'm a size 6/8 and a healthy figure and weight, it can depend more on the frame.

plus size should be 14 and above, say, I agree that a size ten is far from "plus size", but it's still perfectly healthy

Reply 21

tsrabby

by all means healthy 'plus size' people should be allowed to model, its when its unhealthy and promoted by labelling it plus size that the line needs to be drawn, not all size 0 models are unhealthy though, my friend is probably a size 0 and she eats like a horse and has a healthy bmi so it depends.

Reply 22

z33

Original post by TheGuyReturns

Why is it so hard to accept the woman in the fist picture is quite clearly overweight?

As far as your recommendations go, although those are very attractive physiques, at the end of the day it's just a bunch of businesses trying to shift their product... and if they've found putting their clothes on skinny-fat women sells the most, then that's what they will do.

look at the highest normal - you probably consider that overweight but it's still NORMAL in the normal BMI range - healthy for a human being - not overweight

i agree with the second point

Reply 23

TheGuyReturns

Original post by z33

look at the highest normal - you probably consider that overweight but it's still NORMAL in the normal BMI range - healthy for a human being - not overweight

i agree with the second point

Normalisation of being overweight has pushed the green bar to the right over time. Do you see many people who have the 24.9 BMI physique in 60s videos?

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 24

KimKallstrom

Original post by supernerdural

edit: I looked it up and plus size for modelling is size 10 or above. If you are under a size 10 you very badly need to gain weight

Yeah if you're like 6 foot tall lol. Blubbernaut detected

Reply 25

username1967813

Wouldn't it be fantastic if fashion houses had models of all different shapes, sizes, and heights modelling their clothes in catwalk shows?

Reply 26

TheGuyReturns

Original post by connieiscrazy

Wouldn't it be fantastic if fashion houses had models of all different shapes, sizes, and heights modelling their clothes in catwalk shows?

They only supply what the market wants. And the market wants tall, "skinny-fat" models.

Reply 27

username1967813

Original post by TheGuyReturns

They only supply what the market wants. And the market wants tall, "skinny-fat" models.

True. It's a shame that is has to be this way. I wish society celebrated all types of bodies - unfortunately, when it attempts to do this, it just feels patronising and forced.

Reply 28

z33

Original post by TheGuyReturns

Normalisation of being overweight has pushed the green bar to the right over time. Do you see many people who have the 24.9 BMI physique in 60s videos?

but i thought healthy weight range was set in stone and the BMI chart is more accurate than the scale

before the 60s everything was about volumptious bodies, curves, wide hips large busts etc there wasn't a whole skinny rave

that came in the 60s. in the 70s it was more about fitness then it went back to being really thin.

i didn't know the BMI thing changes with time... even then if Doctors say it's healthy then it's healthy right?

Reply 29

difeo

Original post by connieiscrazy

True. It's a shame that is has to be this way. I wish society celebrated all types of bodies - unfortunately, when it attempts to do this, it just feels patronising and forced.

What is there to celebrate about obese bodies?

Reply 30

SummerSunshine

Original post by z33

look at the highest normal - you probably consider that overweight but it's still NORMAL in the normal BMI range - healthy for a human being - not overweight

i agree with the second point

Firstly, BMI is not the most accurate way to measure body fat, or a person's health. It's used because it's simple to calculate and can give a rough idea. In many cases it doesn't give a good idea at all; athletes can have a huge BMI due to the muscle, for example. 100 people with the same BMI could all look completely different!!

Secondly, this picture is wrong. Anorexia is not defined as a low BMI. Anorexia is a mental illness that can affect people of ANY BMI, although sustained anorexia will of course make people lose weight.

My personal view on model size is that I think in an ideal world all models should be healthy, no matter the size, and that a range of different shapes and sizes would be great. That's not why I'm posting though, just wanted to correct a lot of the things that people are saying above.

Reply 31

TheGuyReturns

Original post by z33

I was saying how everyone seemed a lot "skinnier" before the early 90s. And so either many people were underweight for centuries, or many people are overweight now... it seems quite obvious to me that the latter is much more likely.

I was arguing that the current acceptable range of a healthy BMI (which right now is defined as like 18.5-24.9 or something) is nonsense.

This "optimal" range has always been in dispute:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/guideposts/fitness/optimal.htm

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 32

z33

Original post by SummerSunshine

okay yeah i see what you're saying - i though BMI would be more accurate than just weight as a number but maybe fat percentage is more accurate.

i didn't look at the anorexia part, i didn't use the diagram for that I know what anorexia is! sorry bout that...

Reply 33

z33

Original post by TheGuyReturns

yes i agree people in older pictures look slimmer than they do nowadays so maybe there was a shift. Probably cos of all the processed crap that's been invented that people are stuffing themselves with. I think that as long as someone is eating right and exercising they're healthy - no matter what their weight is (although if you're eating right and exercising you would be at a pretty good weight).

i still don't think overweight people or underweight people should be considered inferior due to their weight - i think plus sized modelling gives them a sense of confidence while they're on the journey to good health.

i don't think looking at plus size models makes you want to gain weight or stay overweight, i think it just makes you appreciate yourself more.

Reply 34

SummerSunshine

Original post by z33

I didn't necessarily mean to target you, it was more of a general message- I only quoted you to show the picture! :smile:

Yeah I would say body fat is more useful too, although of course women have a higher body fat % than men as well as a different fat distribution, and individuals have different fat distributions too. It's a very difficult topic to discuss, as a range of factors should be considered!!

Reply 35

z33

Original post by SummerSunshine

I didn't necessarily mean to target you, it was more of a general message- I only quoted you to show the picture! :smile:

haha okay yeah i agree with that message!

true i think in the end people just eyeball it haha :lol:

it's probably subjective - for instance some people think that if you can stand up straight and have no rolls you're fine

but others think you have to have a flat stomach etc. so it kinda depends

but scientifically it's different for different people and individuals would have to be assessed individually to see if they are at a healthy weight and body fat percentage and all of that - you can't really put it in a chart i guess

Reply 36

Maid Marian

I don't think it's beneficial, but I do think it should be allowed because there is clearly a market for it and fat people should be given the chance to dress nicely too :h:

Reply 37

username1967813

Original post by difeo

What is there to celebrate about obese bodies?

I love how you automatically infer that I'm saying obesity is acceptable. I also find it interesting that you don't mention super skinny bodies.

I think that you know I mean all types of healthy bodies. Anyway, the definition of 'healthy' is so arbitrary - you can have overweight people who are fit and healthy, and thin people with lots of visceral fat

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 38

difeo

Original post by connieiscrazy

Oh yes silly me for assuming you mean all types of bodies when you say "I wish society celebrated all types of bodies".

:facepalm:

I didn't mention super skinny bodies because this is a thread about overweight bodies/models, and there's far less of them in comparison to overweight anyway.

Reply 39

anarchism101

Most plus size models aren't obese, or at an unhealthy weight. Many of them are far closer to a scientifically ideal healthy physique than the super-skinny models.