Body Positive or Promoting an unhealthy lifestyle

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SarahxApple
SarahxApple Posts: 166 Member
in Food and Nutrition
http://www.buzzfeed.com/rachelzarrell/the-biggest-plus-size-model-to-get-a-modeling-contract-has-s#.vjZVNkOW7

I am not trying to be horrible here, I just wondered if other people had seen this article and what people thought.

*because I am sure someone will take this badly I apologise if I have inadvertently offended anyone with the title or my word choices*
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Replies

  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,139 Member
    edited January 2015
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    whatever floats your boat..if some company wants to sign her to a modeling contract and thinks it will make them more money, then more power to them. I do not find that in the least bit attractive, but that is just me….
  • socunpato
    socunpato Posts: 48
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    She's beautiful, and you don't know anything about her lifestyle.
    In my opinion it's not promoting anything unhealthy, it's just giving bigger girls representation. Being fat doesn't mean you have to hate yourself.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,372 Member
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    Well at least she's actually plus size. I keep seeing women smaller than me (I'm size 6) as models for size 14+ stores and it pisses me off.

    Personally? I'd go shop at that store.

    That being said, I think there's a very fine line between being 'happy with your body no matter what' and denial.
  • Delilahhhhhh
    Delilahhhhhh Posts: 477 Member
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    Francl27 wrote: »
    Well at least she's actually plus size. I keep seeing women smaller than me (I'm size 6) as models for size 14+ stores and it pisses me off.

    Personally? I'd go shop at that store.

    That being said, I think there's a very fine line between being 'happy with your body no matter what' and denial.
    +1

  • Slasher09
    Slasher09 Posts: 316 Member
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    Here is where I stand. I think this is great, and here is why. Is someone who is this size more likely to have serious health complications? Of course. But I don't think we should be shaming people telling them that they are worthless and bad people and that they need to change who they are to be okay. I have posted on forums numerous times about how I suffered for a long time from an eating disorder. I had my son in 2013 and I was 30 pounds heavier than I was when I got pregnant (and 20lbs over what my normal weight was). I didn't make an effort to lose weight until I was doing it for right reasons. I told myself that I had to make peace with myself and who I was and love me for me before I could lose an ounce, or I would just be re-starting an unhealthy cycle and frame of mind. I knew any weight loss would be to make other people happy and make me "okay again" for society, but losing weight doesn't change who you are, just your outside.

    Once I made peace with myself I started to see my body differently. I loved the curves I had that made me feminine. Then my weight loss took off. I loved my body and because of that I wanted to treat it well. I wanted to make sure it was nourished and wanted to make it strong. As I started losing weight, I started to see even more of a feminine shape (thinner waistline, more prominent curves) and I started to love my body even more and my body confidence started to grow even more...but I would have never had any confidence if I didn't have love coming from within.

    We need more people to love themselves enough to think they are worth taking care of.
  • honkytonks85
    honkytonks85 Posts: 669 Member
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    What always gets me is the assumption that being big = unhealthy lifestyle and being slim = healthy lifestyle. Not really the case. It is possible to be overweight and still be healthy. It is possible to be slim and be unhealthy.
  • Boganella
    Boganella Posts: 42 Member
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    Honestly I think its gross. I also think that models who look starved are gross as well. I think both promote a delusional unhealthy lifestyle.
  • PearlAng
    PearlAng Posts: 681 Member
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    MrM27 wrote: »
    Some people will find her attractive, some people won't. It's life, it is what it is
    -insert thumbs up emoji-
    +1


  • Alluminati
    Alluminati Posts: 6,208 Member
    edited January 2015
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    What strikes me is that she seems angry and defensive about it. While I understand she was bullied and gets negative comments, that stuff blows up 100 fold when you become a public figure so what do you expect? Most of the comments on her instagram are by her followers who adore her so I don't get it. Anyhow, if she's happy that she's that size then good for her. Personally, it's not for me.
  • ourtruelovewillneverdie
    ourtruelovewillneverdie Posts: 170 Member
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    My husband and I were talking about this last night. He doesn't agree with it because he thinks she isn't attractive. I, conversely, think she is very pretty, but I don't think that her size is giving a true representation of the average woman. I feel we see women too thin modeling, but if the average woman is a size 12-14, even with vanity sizing, she isn't an accurate representation either.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
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    Slasher09 wrote: »
    Once I made peace with myself I started to see my body differently. I loved the curves I had that made me feminine. Then my weight loss took off. I loved my body and because of that I wanted to treat it well. I wanted to make sure it was nourished and wanted to make it strong. As I started losing weight, I started to see even more of a feminine shape (thinner waistline, more prominent curves) and I started to love my body even more and my body confidence started to grow even more...but I would have never had any confidence if I didn't have love coming from within.

    We need more people to love themselves enough to think they are worth taking care of.

    Agreed.

    I really don't buy into this notion that if there are some people out there happy with how they look at larger sizes that somehow it's going to encourage others to be unhealthy. People have their own reasons for caring about their size. (Similarly, I've never bought into the notion that people get obsessed with being thinner because of actresses or models.)

    On the other hand, I do think shame and self-hatred prevent lots of people from being able to do what they need to be healthy--it certainly was easier for me when I stopped feeling like I was a worthless person who didn't deserve to be happy (although that was about a lot more than weight and probably related to me gaining weight in the first place back in the day). So having someone who claims to be fit and looks happy at a larger size is, if anything, positive, although the actual difference it makes to anyone else is probably slight at most.
  • NoLimitFemme
    NoLimitFemme Posts: 118 Member
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    I think the #effyourbeautystandards is an excellent campaign to shake up the fashion industry who portrays unattainable expectations through photoshop and models with an unhealthy (too low) BMI. I also understand that on the other end of the spectrum "fat acceptance" is just as bad, attempting to force people to accept it as the "norm."

    I'm glad that a person can accept their body and be happy with it and it's great that this model can. In the end her happiness is the most important thing in her own life. It this is what makes her happy, then kudos to her. :D
  • ourtruelovewillneverdie
    ourtruelovewillneverdie Posts: 170 Member
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    MrM27 wrote: »
    ourtruelovewillneverdie wrote: »
    My husband and I were talking about this last night. He doesn't agree with it because he thinks she isn't attractive. I, conversely, think she is very pretty, but I don't think that her size is giving a true representation of the average woman. I feel we see women too thin modeling, but if the average woman is a size 12-14, even with vanity sizing, she isn't an accurate representation either.
    I'm not sure models are supposed to be technically representing the average woman or man. If they were then so many of us would be models. How many men do you know that look like that guy on the cover of a magazine with the super chiseled abs?

    I understand that they representing what they are modeling or an idea, I was just trying to say I would rather see an average representation.
  • Alluminati
    Alluminati Posts: 6,208 Member
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    MrM27 wrote: »
    ourtruelovewillneverdie wrote: »
    My husband and I were talking about this last night. He doesn't agree with it because he thinks she isn't attractive. I, conversely, think she is very pretty, but I don't think that her size is giving a true representation of the average woman. I feel we see women too thin modeling, but if the average woman is a size 12-14, even with vanity sizing, she isn't an accurate representation either.
    I'm not sure models are supposed to be technically representing the average woman or man. If they were then so many of us would be models. How many men do you know that look like that guy on the cover of a magazine with the super chiseled abs?
    I've probably seen more women look like the OP model than guys with super chiseled abs.
  • CoffeeNBooze
    CoffeeNBooze Posts: 966 Member
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    It doesn't bother me. She can do whatever she wants and if someone signed her, then great. People are still going to have their own opinions whether or not she was doing this. We don't know how healthy or unhealthy she is. I'm sure plenty of traditional models were not on even on the brink of "good" health. Plus, I think she's really pretty. Maybe she will inspire a girl of any size not to be afraid to do what she wants.
  • randomtai
    randomtai Posts: 9,003 Member
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    No.
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