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Plus size models help normalise obesity, study reveals

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No surprises here.

People often misconstrue plus size and obesity. Just like in the past people thought that thin means anorexic.

Just like a lot of autistic people around or people with mental deceases left and right. But maybe they follow the motto "every person is mental"?
(edited 5 years ago)
Original post by Waldorf67
If I was a size 14-18 I would be informed by my doctor to lose weight, absolutely no doubt about it.

The fact that you don’t recognise that a significant number of women are size 18 to be an issue is a concern. A size 18 on a woman with the average height of 5 foot 4/5 is morbidly obese.


And a woman who’s size 18 and over 6 feet tall?

You’re right in the sense that height is a factor, but clothing sizes aren’t a way of measuring obesity. Obesity comes down to excess fat on the body. Personally, I’m 6’1” (female) and around 220lbs. (Around 98-100kg) and that puts me at overweight, BMI wise. I’m a clothing size 16-18 but I am, the healthiest I’ve ever been. As I say, plus size models don’t glorify obesity. They make those with normal bodies, normal. Which is what we need.
Original post by Chucke1992
...mental deceases...


Sounds....fatal?
Original post by 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.


Nothing wrong with not being thin.
Reply 44
Original post by FloralHybrid
And a woman who’s size 18 and over 6 feet tall?

You’re right in the sense that height is a factor, but clothing sizes aren’t a way of measuring obesity. Obesity comes down to excess fat on the body. Personally, I’m 6’1” (female) and around 220lbs. (Around 98-100kg) and that puts me at overweight, BMI wise. I’m a clothing size 16-18 but I am, the healthiest I’ve ever been. As I say, plus size models don’t glorify obesity. They make those with normal bodies, normal. Which is what we need.


Yes but what proportion of the female population is over 6 foot?

What proportion of the female population is a size 16?

I disagree with your opinion that we need to normalise obesity.
Obese people need clothes, it's as simple as that. Out of all things I don't think plus size campaigns are affecting obesity much. Most plus size models used I adverts are the smallest size that the company sells which often isn't even that fat. We need to target the main causes of obesity and j don't think advertising is one of them
Shouldn't be allowed to be advertised, it's not ok to be paper thin, so shouldn't be ok to be fat. Both unhealthy, and not something to be inspired to.
Reply 47
Original post by Nihilisticb*tch
Obese people need clothes, it's as simple as that. Out of all things I don't think plus size campaigns are affecting obesity much. Most plus size models used I adverts are the smallest size that the company sells which often isn't even that fat. We need to target the main causes of obesity and j don't think advertising is one of them


yup. we had thin models for decades and society still gained weight. models have nothing to do with it.
Original post by johnny.snow
These "stick thin" models are usually healthy - they're tall with thin bone structure.


They may look healthy to you, but it’s widespread in the industry for models to survive on juice fasts and cotton wool soaked in orange juice, barely eating. Look it up.
Original post by Waldorf67
Yes but what proportion of the female population is over 6 foot?

What proportion of the female population is a size 16?

I disagree with your opinion that we need to normalise obesity.


Not many.

As I said, the issue is what is obesity? If you’re judging obesity on BMI it’s unreliable. If you’re judging based on fat content it’s not something everyone really knows. Additionally, these “plus size models” most of the time, are literally just normal people. They represent the population a hell of a lot better than size 2 women.
Original post by Joleee
yup. we had thin models for decades and society still gained weight. models have nothing to do with it.


Did you ever think that for some that might be because they struggled to accept the fact they’d never look like the models they see around them, so turned to food as a coping mechanism?

Models do have an influence, particularly on young girls.
Reply 51
Original post by FloralHybrid
Did you ever think that for some that might be because they struggled to accept the fact they’d never look like the models they see around them, so turned to food as a coping mechanism?

Models do have an influence, particularly on young girls.


no i never said that models don't have an influence on us; their job is to make us feel less pretty, less fulfilled, so we end up buying the products to feel better about ourselves.

but my comment was referring to the argument in the thread that bigger models 'normalise' obesity. bigger models don't 'normalise' obesity just like 'thin' models don't 'normalise' thinness. if it did, we would all be thin, but we're not. my point is that don't blame bigger models for normalising the obesity epidemic. did you read my earlier comments?
(edited 5 years ago)
I'm not surprised. If something is common, it is seen as okay.

Original post by Rock Fan
Rather a plus size model than a stick thin one personally.


Why the choice between those two? Surely you'd advocate a healthy body rather than a body image.
Original post by Joleee
no i never said that models don't have an influence on us; their job is to make us feel less pretty, less fulfilled, so we end up buying the products to feel better about ourselves.

but my comment was referring to the argument in the thread that bigger models 'normalise' obesity. bigger models don't 'normalise' obesity just like 'thin' models don't 'normalise' thinness. if it did, we would all be thin, but we're not. my point is that don't blame bigger models for normalising the obesity epidemic. did you read my earlier comments?


Nope, I did not. My bad!
I don't think plus size models are to blame for the normalisation of obesity. I think it is the fact that our society has become so used to seeing obesity everywhere that we have stopped seeing it as a primary health concern.
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.


Depends on their BMI. Models should be right around the centre of the green, as they are what people look to be after all... Sure you should be polite to fat people but it isnt exactly like obesity is a good thing...
Original post by Waldorf67
They would be classified as obese, that is not healthy.


Speaking as someone who is on the boundary between healthy and overweight, these models are much thinner than me lol. If this is what plus sized models are, there’s nothing to worry about, these people are healthy as can be. I’d be worried if there were genuinely obese models, but it’s clear that there is nothing to be seen here. Typical media overexaggeration.
Reply 57
There should be a sense of shame around being overweight. It’s unseemly, and a drain on the health service we’re all paying for. We need to stop mollycoddling and tell the goddam truth, even if it’s a bitter pill to swallow.
Plus size male models when?

or is being a fat guy still not okay? wonder why...
um... what are plus sized people supposed to wear then if theres no plus sized clothing?

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