Plus size models help normalise obesity, study reveals

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/2018/06/22/plus-size-clothing-overweight-models-may-fuel-obesity-epidemic/

Is this really such a surprise?

Running plus sized campaigns is a quick and easy marketing ploy given the ever increasing target market, however should this possibly be regulated?

There is now a lot of regulation regarding alcohol advertisement, and cigarette advertising is simply banned. However the obesity epidemic is set to supersede the health risks associated with smoking, and alcohol consumption, so why should this go unregulated?

I find with these campaigns, there is no in between. There is the usual, super fit and slim models who cover the mainstream campaigns, and then there’s the “plus size” range. There’s no place for regular, healthy bodies.

I find people are afraid to acknowledge the obesity epidemic for fear of coming across as prejuduce, but this is as much a health concern as any.

Fashion houses are absolutely slated for encouraging anorexia in the early 2000s, but incidences of anorexia are significantly outweighed by obesity figures.

Nope. Not a surprise at all. I actually like the appearance of a few plus size models such as Iskra Lawrence and Ashley Graham, however this doesn’t help the obesity problem when they (mainly Iskra) keep bombarding people that they’re perfectly fine the way they are. If I was obese and I heard that, that wouldn’t really motivate me to change for the better.

except we're not bombarded with bigger models; the overwhelming majority are still thin models. i don't think the minority overrules the majority in terms of influence, do you?

i just think models don't normalise obesity because models are not role models. deep down women (especially) know they can never BE them; deep down we know they are unattainable, but we buy the lipstick and the clothes so at least we feel better for a few moments till we need the next thing.

but i'm not saying obesity hasn't been normalised; obviously it has and for at least two decades now. but it's the influence of day-to-day life, i.e. our friends, family, co-workers, not plus size models just doing their job.

Sometimes they do. If not then why does it take just one celebrity taking a naked selfie for people to get worked up? I refer to Kim Kardashian 2 years ago. Also maybe bombard might not be the word but if you like, I could pull up a video of Iskra Lawrence getting on a soapbox in her underwear while riding the NYC subway.

i don't disagree; the 'love your body' campaign must have some influence, because all bright-and-shiny things do. i reckon tho it's only temporary. i bet if you surveyed plus size women if they loved their body the majority would say 'no'. because while they love their body, they know you don't so much. and we all look to others for approval.

holy cow, i googled Iskra Lawrence and she's actually pretty thin. i mean not for model standards, but she doesn't look unhealthy to me at least. i bet if you saw her IRL she'd blend in just like anybody. yeah Kim K's figure seems to be the ideal beauty right now, but she's tiny compared to the average woman.

have you noticed that Ashley Graham lost weight in the last year or so? same with Rebel Wilson and Melissa McCarthy (not that they're models). but i read somewhere that Rebel said she can't lose toooo much weight, because she gets hired to fit a certain character (the 'funny overweight sidekick' ). that's a problem for Ashley G i reckon. she can't lose too much weight because being plus size is her brand.

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?

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.

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.

It’s different.

In order for thin models to exert an influence they’d have to do so in a way that people actively change their behaviour. I.e, for people to actively lose weight.

If overweight models exert an influence it would encourage people to NOT change behaviour, or to not control behaviour.

One is active, the other is passive. It’s therefore easier for positive attitudes to being overweight to exert an influence than positive attitudes to thinness.

A positive attitude to being overweight means I can eat what I want, and not excercise. A positive attitude to being thin means a lot more hard work.

if you read my comments on this page regarding the lack of influence models historical had, and currently have, on us -- plus the fact i don't believe plus size women love their bodies -- i stand by those statements.

and to further repeat myself, i agree that obesity is normalised now, but i'm not convinced it has anything to do with the small percent of plus size models considered 'beautiful', especially when they are swallowed by the overwhelming thinness of the industry. but i agree with you that self discipline is not something westerns appreciate enough. indeed we keep looking for ways to be 'freer' instead.

Seeing fat people idolised gives people another excuse to eat that burger, or skip another day at the gym. The obesity epidemic was already here before this 'body-positive' nonsense, but the more stuff that comes out saying being fatally obese is fine hurts efforts to encourage good health.

but the more common and louder(!) message is that women should be thin. thin models rule the fashion industry and Hollywood and anything related. plus size women might see the odd beautiful plus size woman in print, but they still know the real world thinks they're unattractive. they know they are being judged.

i think plus size models just stick out more to some people in this thread because frankly -- they stick out. we're so used to seeing thin models, we don't even notice thin models rule anymore.

This isn't about being attractive, this is about getting fat people to be healthy.

Also, it's not as if these things are cancelling each other out. The anorexic stuff makes anorexics worse, and the fat stuff makes fat people worse. We shouldn't have either, but encouraging either side makes the whole situation worse.

i've said repeatedly that plus size models don't make plus size women feel better about being overweight, and if they do, it's only temporary. i don't know what else i can say about that point. do you talk to plus size women in real life?

what do you suggest? that clothing manufacturers hire ugly models?

But that's what the 'body-positive' movement is about, making fat people feel happy with being fat.

I suggest clothing manufacturers hire athletes to model their clothing. Sports clothing manufacturers already do, of course, but the people buying that stuff are already the people who are aiming for health rather than just an image. Aspiring to be good at sport is a good message to put out.

sports thing not a bad idea. me, i vote for no models, only mannequins. lol jk

i believe advertising is designed to make everyone feel like crap. if we didn't feel bad about ourselves, we wouldn't buy things to make us fulfilled.

but i can't complete another sentence, it's past gramma's bedtime.

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.