Plus Size Models Encouraging Obessity

Step out into the everyday world as an average American and you will witness an entanglement of varied body size, and shape. Now, enter the world of the media, a world in which you are formally introduced to high fashion, where flashing lights, money, glamour and riches crash around you, satiating every crevice of your being. Here, you will find two unified body types, divided into two categories of shape in women; thin, and thick. Naturally, any woman who wishes to someday strut down the catwalk in Zac Posen, or pose in Marie Claire wearing Dolce and Cabana must have a body that fits one of these required molds, right? It is a well-known reality that many women who cannot reach by healthy means, or do not already have, the desired body type for fashion industries, will develop an eating disorder to starve their way into the position. However, most fail to address the issue of obesity that curdles on the other end of the physical spectrum; the plus size modeling industry. This statement not only boils the blood of millions of American Women, but begs the question: If extremely thin models promote eating disorders, should we prohibit advertisers, especially those in fashion, from using plus size models, as they may promote obesity? To put it simply, no. Plus size models do not promote obesity because they only provide thicker, much larger women, confidence and appreciation for their body without pressuring them to take unhealthy means to shed pounds; they do not encourage overeating and lack of exercise.

When modeling started to evolve into thinner customs 20 years ago, the average weight of a model was about 8% less than that of an average woman. Currently, that percentage has plummeted into an insidious 23%. In the year 200...

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...lculator, 100.1 pounds equals a BMI of 16.15; that’s exactly 2.35 points below the bare minimum for a healthy body mass.

Though Cristine herself claims she has never been negatively influenced by the media or fashion institutions, she expresses sincere concern over for her 14 year old daughter. In her opinion, and in many others, including myself, models are too thin and represent a dangerous impression upon young, easily influenced girls.

So do plus size models pose the opposite argument? That maybe, promoting women to flaunt thicker bodies in desirable clothing encourages obesity? An article written by Damian Sofsian shares current obesity statistics reporting

Plus size model Crystal Renn addresses this issue in a 2009 edition of a Time magazine interview conducted by Terry Kelly.

http://www.southernct.edu/womenscenter/mediaandbodyimage2/