Plus size models help normalise obesity, study reveals

Rather a plus size model than a stick thin one personally.

Reply 2

Philly1993

9

Love, LOVE a plus size model!

Reply 3

username2637499

18

Not a surprise at all.

Reply 4

Valkiyare

9

You can be plus size and perfectly healthy but more often than not if you are stick thin you are going to be unhealthy. I feel like some ‘plus size’ models are actually regular size but called plus because they are not a Size 0.

Reply 5

username1221160

19

Original post by Waldorf67

There’s no place for regular, healthy bodies.

Yes there is. You may want to look at the images of the two plus size models used in that Telegraph article you link. They aren't obese. In fact most plus size models wear clothes sizes smaller than the average woman.

Reply 6

Maker

One can argue standard under weight models normalise body shaming and anorexia.

Reply 7

Joleee

19

you can't compare advertising alcohol and cigarettes because those products directly affect your health; clothing has no such effect. so if you want the government to intervene on obesity you need to ask them to regulate advertising on junk food, not clothing/models.

regardless, clothing/models do not make anyone obese. no one sets out to gain weight because they really want to wear a skirt in a size 24. clothing is a necessity and of course manufacturers want to make their product look as good as possible; they want to sell stuff so they hire beautiful models. these are not evil people; or at least, not any more evil than all the other beauty campaigns making women feel like sh*t about themselves so they will buy their products. hence, don't hate the player, etc, etc.

(edited 5 years ago)

Reply 8

OP

Original post by Sulfolobus

Yes there is. You may want to look at the images of the two plus size models used in that Telegraph article you link. They aren't obese. In fact most plus size models wear clothes sizes smaller than the average woman.

They would be classified as obese, that is not healthy.

Reply 9

OP

Original post by Valkiyare

You can be plus size and perfectly healthy but more often than not if you are stick thin you are going to be unhealthy. I feel like some ‘plus size’ models are actually regular size but called plus because they are not a Size 0.

Women in fashion adverts are not super skinny, size 0? Show me one high street brand which uses size 0 models?

Are you actually telling me that the larger woman 4 seconds in on the below video, is the healthier
one? And the thin woman is the unhealthy one?

If that is the case you are really adding force to my argument, that obesity is normalised through such campaigns.

Original post by Rock Fan

Rather a plus size model than a stick thin one personally.

What about a plus sized versus a healthy thin model?
See the advert I posted above. Again, such statements add force to my argument and provide real life anecdote to the study.

(edited 5 years ago)

👍🏼👍🏽👍🏼👍🏽👍🏼👍🏽👍🏼👍🏽

Absolutely stupid is like saying skinny models help to normalise anorexia. People like to bash what's different.

Reply 12

fallen_acorns

there is no winning. the arguments around fat-pride are just stupid.

the most dangerous one is: if we shame people, they won't loose weight.

Which is just plain wrong. The evidence is clear, societal pressure is the single biggest factor in motivating people to stay thin. Sure for a very small percentage of people, the pressure will actually stop them loosing weight, but for a much much bigger chunk of the population, that pressure is the main driver to keeping thin.

Reply 13

OP

Original post by Doublletrouble

Absolutely stupid is like saying skinny models help to normalise anorexia. People like to bash what's different.

But people listened to that and size 0 models are no longer used. So if we listen to that why shouldn’t we listen to the other end of the spectrum? Especially when comparing the rates of obesity versus underweight people in the UK.

Reply 14

OP

Original post by Joleee

you can't compare advertising alcohol and cigarettes because those products directly affect your health; clothing has no such effect. so if you want the government to intervene on obesity you need to ask them to regulate advertising on junk food, not clothing/models.

regardless, clothing/models do not make anyone obese. no one sets out to gain weight because they really want to wear a skirt in a size 24. clothing is a necessity and of course manufacturers want to make their product look as good as possible; they want to sell stuff so they hire beautiful models. these are not evil people; or at least, not any more evil than all the other beauty campaigns making women feel like sh*t about themselves so they will buy their products. hence, don't hate the player, etc, etc.

I agree that the campaigns aren’t as direct as alcohol/ cigarette ads, but if it still shows to have an effect on attitudes/ behaviour then it is a concern that should be listened to.

I think there needs to be a balance between not stigmatising individuals, but not endorsing obesity either.

Reply 15

Joleee

19

Original post by Waldorf67

I agree that the campaigns aren’t as direct as alcohol/ cigarette ads, but if it still shows to have an effect on attitudes/ behaviour then it is a concern that should be listened to.

I think there needs to be a balance between not stigmatising individuals, but not endorsing obesity either.

i agree about balance; i just think we're asking the wrong institutions to take responsibility. these clothing companies do it because there's a need for them. big people need clothes too(!) and clothing companies are made of people, just trying to earn a paycheck. most people don't sacrifice their own lives for the sake of improving society. and what's the government supposed to do anyway, ask these companies to only employ ugly models?

we also had thin models for decades and it didn't exactly improve us. that's all you saw and society still continued to gain weight. the problem is momentum and all our friends, family, co-workers with similar issues, and so there's no pressure to change. this is not me condoning fat shaming or whatever others are suggesting in this thread. i'm just saying i don't blame clothing entrepreneurs who just want to earn a living or the government for not telling them how to run their business.

Reply 16

username521617

17

Unsurprising.

Fatness shouldn't be made to seem normal or acceptable. It's a serious public health epidemic. Big is not beautiful - it's unattractive, unhealthy, and a strain on public health resources. But people are too soft nowadays, both figuratively and literally, it seems.

Reply 17

username47781