Ashley Graham's plus sized Sports Illustrated Cover

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Replies

  • DebEaker10
    DebEaker10 Posts: 7 Member
    Yes she looks amazing and I really don't think she's plus size, however, her pictures are just as photoshopped as the not plus size models. She doesn't really look like this. No one in magazines actually look the way they look. Well, okay, some do, so she might, but the lighting, the blemish remover, everything adds up to a person that looks incredible. Also, you can't judge a person by their size. I'm still overweight according to my height, but I'm healthier than I've ever been. My cholesterol, my blood pressure, my sugar, everything is perfect. Weight doesn't always equal health.
  • TheRoadDog
    TheRoadDog Posts: 11,788 Member
    She probably doesn't have what is considered a healthy BMI. Personally, I think she is gorgeous.

    But.....I don't think she is concerned with anyone else's opinion. I think she just took that big check from Sport's Illustrated to the bank. Giggling all the way.
  • StaceyJ2008
    StaceyJ2008 Posts: 411 Member
    edited February 2015
    Ashley Graham is 5'10 and weighs 165 pounds. She wears a size 14
    And according to the fashion industry, plus size models start at a size 8. which is ridiculous. I think she's gorgeous and so is Katya Zharkova, another plus size model. I think they are both great role models. Neither one of them is fat.
    And yes, she does look pretty damn close to that in "real life"
  • retropactum
    retropactum Posts: 75 Member
    undergloom wrote: »
    I'm a perfect gentleman, but I would wreck that

    AMEN.

  • 3shirts
    3shirts Posts: 294 Member
    She is really hot. I don't know if she's a healthy weight, only her doctor can tell us that, but she is certainly very attractive. I do agree with OP though, being average doesn't necessarily mean healthy.
    The population is getting fatter and simple maths means the average is therefore increasing. Being average could easily still put you in the 'overweight' category.
  • Lizabelle1212
    Lizabelle1212 Posts: 252 Member
    I LOVE Ashley Graham. And being a size 14 at a height of 5'9" or 5'10" is not the same as being size 14 at a height of 5'5" or something. I'm 5'11" and was a size 14 when I was younger, and my weight was just slightly above the high end of healthy BMI range. I played basketball and softball and was active every day, and perfectly healthy. I follow Ashley on Instagram and she does work out regularly. It's impossible to judge whether or not someone is healthy just by looking at a picture and acknowledging that they're labeled as "plus size."
  • dapunks
    dapunks Posts: 245 Member
    She looks amazing! To me there should be a variety of women on these magazine covers because at the end of the day, everyone is different. She may appeal to certain people, and others may find smaller models attractive. I do not see this as making obesity acceptable, I see it as women come in all different shapes and sizes. It is not like I looked at this and thought, damn, I want to be obese now, so pass me a cupcake...

    I believe this, there is no image that can be put out there that would make a person believe being obese is ok. Everyone knows the difference between being fat or thin and what the effects are on their health are. If a person chooses to overeat, then they live with the consequences that come with it. We are not doctors, we are normal people. If a person is living an unhealthy life that is their business to take up with their doctor, not for us to sit here and criticize. People have choices in life, and someone else’s choice does not affect the way I live so who am I to say *kitten*

    ^^This. We are different shapes, sizes and colours. Lets celebrate it and not go on about it.
  • PRMinx
    PRMinx Posts: 4,585 Member
    She is really beautiful woman and I'm all for different body types being showcased. I think it's great.

    Would I describe her as healthy and fit? Don't know. No more than I would describe any other model as healthy and fit.

    Big, small, short, tall, cellulite, smooth, etc. etc. - it doesn't matter. All these models are airbrushed to look like the best possible versions of themselves.
  • dym123
    dym123 Posts: 1,670 Member
    Ashley Graham is 5'10 and weighs 165 pounds. She wears a size 14
    And according to the fashion industry, plus size models start at a size 8. which is ridiculous. "

    This is hilarious, I'm 5'4" and around 165lbs and wear a size 8, which according to the fashion industry also makes me plus size, though I'm not a model, so not sure what that makes me. Another reason why the scale doesn't matter.
  • branflakes1980
    branflakes1980 Posts: 2,516 Member
    edited February 2015
    Deanna886 wrote: »
    kjarvo wrote: »
    Deanna886 wrote: »
    I think she is beautiful and healthy looking. Remember waifish Kate Moss and her crack or meth or whatever addiction? Seriously - how dare anyone assume someone isnt healthy based on their dress size. Dont be a judgey mean girl.

    Where do you draw the line? Can you say a 400lb person is perfectly heathy because we don't know what their health is and because we shouldn't judge based on dress size. She probably in reality IS perfectly healthy because she isn't that overweight, and the the majority of people don't have problems. But diabetes, heart disease etc. DOES increase with obesity increasing.

    Not to mention - on your profile you write over and over again that you're fat - just because you dont love yourself doesnt give you the right to judge other people so harshly.



    Holy cow. I don't think she was judging as harshly as you are thinking, and no where did I read anything that would classify her as a "judgey mean girl" Mountains out of molehills, its the MFP way. SMH! And if we are being honest, just because someone says that they are fat doesn't mean they don't love themselves. Who is being judgey now???
  • PRMinx
    PRMinx Posts: 4,585 Member
    dym123 wrote: »
    Ashley Graham is 5'10 and weighs 165 pounds. She wears a size 14
    And according to the fashion industry, plus size models start at a size 8. which is ridiculous. "

    This is hilarious, I'm 5'4" and around 165lbs and wear a size 8, which according to the fashion industry also makes me plus size, though I'm not a model, so not sure what that makes me. Another reason why the scale doesn't matter.

    Exactly. I'm 5'4, 135 and I'm a size 4, 6 or 8 depending on brand. LOL.
  • tuffytuffy1
    tuffytuffy1 Posts: 920 Member
    If it is true that she is 5'10 and 165 pounds, she is in the healthy range for BMI. She is gorgeous IMHO.
  • jkoch6599
    jkoch6599 Posts: 30 Member
    Grotesque in a bikini...but may have the proportions to look halfway decent in clothes.
  • tiffanybrooks530
    tiffanybrooks530 Posts: 140 Member
    She's a beautiful full figure woman and is probably in better health and shape than people who don't work out, eat crap, smoke, drink, etc.
  • PRMinx
    PRMinx Posts: 4,585 Member
    jkoch6599 wrote: »
    Grotesque in a bikini...but may have the proportions to look halfway decent in clothes.

    Wow.
  • tmauck4472
    tmauck4472 Posts: 1,785 Member
    I wish I looked that good
  • Lizabelle1212
    Lizabelle1212 Posts: 252 Member
    jkoch6599 wrote: »
    Grotesque in a bikini...but may have the proportions to look halfway decent in clothes.

    :\ Grotesque, though? Wow.
  • LINIA
    LINIA Posts: 1,159 Member
    This is the thing ( my apologies if this was stated above) our ECONOMY drives everything, what will sell, what is commercial, what sizes contribute to the highest financial return. So the answer lies within those parameters. This model/actress is probably very much photoshopped, touched up etc ....however she is very beautiful, she is gorgeous ...but yes, she is definately Obese.
  • 3shirts
    3shirts Posts: 294 Member
    jkoch6599 wrote: »
    Grotesque in a bikini...but may have the proportions to look halfway decent in clothes.

    Trollface.png
  • jennismagic
    jennismagic Posts: 243 Member
    kjarvo wrote: »
    Deanna886 wrote: »
    kjarvo wrote: »
    Deanna886 wrote: »
    I think she is beautiful and healthy looking. Remember waifish Kate Moss and her crack or meth or whatever addiction? Seriously - how dare anyone assume someone isnt healthy based on their dress size. Dont be a judgey mean girl.

    Where do you draw the line? Can you say a 400lb person is perfectly heathy because we don't know what their health is and because we shouldn't judge based on dress size. She probably in reality IS perfectly healthy because she isn't that overweight, and the the majority of people don't have problems. But diabetes, heart disease etc. DOES increase with obesity increasing.

    Not to mention - on your profile you write over and over again that you're fat - just because you dont love yourself doesnt give you the right to judge other people so harshly.

    I WAS overweight, no question about it. I loved my boobs and bum and didn't hate myself, but because I am apple shaped and things like the pill aren't as effective when you are overweight, it is unhealthy. I am not trying to pick on Ashley, I am just trying to discuss whether people think fat acceptance is okay and because, as she is an average sized compared to the average person whether or not she should be referred to as a plus sized model or not.

    Why should we give so much weight to what other people think? Most people are judgmental, mean-spirited, and downright evil in the way that they think about others, because that is the nature of low-self esteem, self-hate, and insecurity. Take other people down, and you'll feel better. It's disgusting. To be honest, I think you're guilty of doing this to this model. I definitely picked up on it in your initial post.

    As for the fat acceptance movement: it's just fine. What's not fine is the bigoted, small-minded view of people who take issue with it. What's wrong with empowering people who have been marginalized for decades? Can someone actually answer that? :/

    There is absolutely no harm in encouraging people to love themselves regardless of how they look, because, let's be honest, self-hate only serves to harm and make one feel even worse about themselves. If no one else is going to love you, then you should do it.

    Accepting yourself means loving yourself as you are, living the life you want, and if you want to make changes, you'll do it because you want to, and not because you feel pressured to conform to some impossible, deeply flawed standard.

    What fat acceptance doesn't teach, and most ignorant people assume it does is leading an unhealthy lifestyle to spite the "mainstream". It's unfortunate.

    Just my opinion.
  • branflakes1980
    branflakes1980 Posts: 2,516 Member
    jkoch6599 wrote: »
    Grotesque in a bikini...but may have the proportions to look halfway decent in clothes.

    For real?? Ignorance is as ignorance does I suppose. WTH!

  • rbfdac
    rbfdac Posts: 1,057 Member
    Yes, on paper her BMI is most likely in the "obese" category, but as we all (should) know, the BMI chart does not take into account many factors at all.

    Additionally, these photos may be photoshopped, but there are plenty candid photos of her out there and she doesn't look much different at all.

    In my opinion, this girl is perfectly beautiful and I would be happy to look like her.

    But, to each their own, even if most of you are wrong :)
  • jennismagic
    jennismagic Posts: 243 Member
    edited February 2015
    She looks better than the waif models with fake boobs.

    This isn't a body positive attitude. It's a mean, spiteful one, cut from the same cloth as the ones that deride plus-size models/people, and it's just as harmful. We need to learn to celebrate and appreciate beauty in all its forms.

    If you have issues with the beauty and fashion industries, and I can't say that I blame you, then blog about it. Boycott certain brands, such Lululemon and Abercrombie & Fitch, two companies that only want certain people wearing their clothes, should be more inclusive. Other companies succeed and increase their market share because they are more welcoming. Write letters to the CEOs, or start a social media campaign to encourage these companies to change.

    Do anything besides bash thinner under the guise of uplifting the women with more to love. That is just wrong.
  • SuggaD
    SuggaD Posts: 1,369 Member
    She doesn't look 165 to me. She's very pretty, but I don't find her bikini body attractive. JMHO.
  • cbills65
    cbills65 Posts: 164 Member
    I googled her after looking at the article and watched a slide show of her photos. No matter how I try I don't see this woman as plus size. I'd call her average if I had to put a label on her size. She is a beautiful woman in my opinion.
  • MoiAussi93
    MoiAussi93 Posts: 1,948 Member
    kjarvo wrote: »
    What do you think about this cover and Ashley Graham? I don't want to body shame. I am not trying to pick on anyone individually, but I do think she is overweight. The majority of the comments by girls on the articles is 'she is not plus sized, she is normal' 'she is real' 'she is not plus sized, she is healthy' or 'she is an average woman'.

    Just because she is an average woman does not mean she is not overweight. Size 18 US IS plus sized for models. UK size 8-16 are represented by a size 8 model, so it isn't suprising that a size 14 model represents the xxl categories. Models are supposed to inspire to sell the clothing. A slightly smaller model than a xxl person will see that as inspiration and think, yes that looks good on a curvy person. They are more relatable for the plus sizes than a skinny person.

    However, that does not mean that she is not plus sized. If 60% of woman are overweight, it does not mean that she is not plus sized. She is still overweight. It shouldn't be ok to be overweight and people are getting critisied by calling her overweight or agreeing that she is plus sized.

    She is probably also not healthy. Not extremely unhealthy like a morbidly obese person, but being overweight does start to cause problems.

    What do you think? Do you think she should be called plus sized? Do you think she is overweight? Do you think critising the use of plus sized and the preference of real or average woman (because she probably is the weight of an average person) is making obesity acceptable?
    I think she looks incredibly sexy and she is incredibly beautiful...I wish I had the hourglass shape she does.

    According to the internet (can't be sure how accurate, but I found a few sites saying the same thing) she is a size 14, not 18. And she is 5'9 and 170 pounds...so that is a 25.1 BMI...so if she is overweight it is 3 pounds at the most. She is hardly making obesity acceptable, since she is no where close to obese!!!

    I think she is most likely very healthy. Look at those pics...she has very little abdominal fat. It's mostly is her thighs and breasts.I know a lot of thin size 4 or size 6 women with pot bellies...I think they are probably more likely to have health problems than Ashley. Btw, size 14 is plus size for a model, but not for non models and clothing sizes. Most brands and stores go up to a 14.


  • ashleycde
    ashleycde Posts: 622 Member
    She is plus-sized as far as apparel sizing goes, but she is also "average" as you mentioned some women had commented. The current CDC average height and weight for an American woman is 5 feet 3.8" and 166.2 lbs, which based on a BMI index is considered overweight; 28.7 on a scale of 25 to 29.9 being overweight. I do have a problem with women who say that women of a certain size are "real" while others of another size (usually indicative of smaller framed or skinny women) are not "real." All women in all sizes are real, and shaming behaviour geared towards either direction of weight does not promote a healthy body image and in my opinion is anti-feminist. I have no idea whether or not this woman is healthy, and I think whether or not I or someone else finds her attractive is subjective. Whether or not she is considered plus-sized is a matter of fact based on current apparel industry standards, and is not a subjective opinion to be held.
  • jenjencin78
    jenjencin78 Posts: 4,415 Member
    ashleycde wrote: »
    She is plus-sized as far as apparel sizing goes, but she is also "average" as you mentioned some women had commented. The current CDC average height and weight for an American woman is 5 feet 3.8" and 166.2 lbs, which based on a BMI index is considered overweight; 28.7 on a scale of 25 to 29.9 being overweight. I do have a problem with women who say that women of a certain size are "real" while others of another size (usually indicative of smaller framed or skinny women) are not "real." All women in all sizes are real, and shaming behaviour geared towards either direction of weight does not promote a healthy body image and in my opinion is anti-feminist. I have no idea whether or not this woman is healthy, and I think whether or not I or someone else finds her attractive is subjective. Whether or not she is considered plus-sized is a matter of fact based on current apparel industry standards, and is not a subjective opinion to be held.

    *Applauding wildly*. Very well said.
  • davis978
    davis978 Posts: 103 Member
    From what I could find on the internet (huge grain of salt here) she's only a couple pounds over the recommended BMI. So, is she maybe a little overweight ....sure. Is she real fat? Absolutely not.

    I personally feel the whole "Can she possibly be healthy?" is a red herring and not at all the conversation people mean to have. Yeah, she's probably perfectly healthy, or if she's not, is probably not due to her weight. I think the "Is fat acceptance okay" question really is about "Is it okay for women her size to be confident and claim a sexuality that most of the media tells us everyday is only for 1% of women?" I'm not criticizing, I'm just saying that I think people hide behind the health issue when that's really not what concerns them at all.
  • ashleycde
    ashleycde Posts: 622 Member
    I just Google image searched her, and she has definite sex appeal. There was a shot in a fishnet dress that I thought was pretty sexy.
This discussion has been closed.