Question:
Sound Off!!! What do you think constitutes a
I saw a commercial last night that just infuriated me. It was a model company searching for new plus sized models that were (are you ready?) size 10 and up!!! Since when is a size 10 considered a plus size individual? I look at people that are size 12 and 14 and wish I could be that size. To me that is normal. The "average" woman is bigger than a size 10. And the worst part is, they are looking for teenagers as well. I was a 10 in high school and felt just right. But had I seen that commercial at a teenager, I probably would have starting starving myself to get away from that label. What damage do they think they are doing to our self-esteems and to the future of our daughters? I'd be ecstatic if my 8 yr old grows up to be a size 10 and would be devastated if she considered herself fat at that size. Just wanted to sound off and get some opinions. — Katy B. (posted on February 25, 2002)
February 25, 2002
I too am appalled. I just can't believe this country doesn't get it yet
that you CAN be too thin. We are setting such an impossible standard for
girls and young women to try to live up to. I have know teen-agers with
anorexia and it is the saddest thing to see them. I know that the fashion
magazines, etc. do not cause anorexia, but they certainly contribute. I
can't wait for the day when the standard is to be healthy and active no
matter what the scale says.
— garw
February 25, 2002
Katy, do you know that there is a website where kids can go who want to
"become" anorexic??? It tell them how. Also bulemia....tells
them what to do. This world is becoming harder and harder for young women
to fit into. No wonder teen depression is on the rise. I have to say
though, that sometimes I wonder what I told my daughters by having this
surgery. Both are overweight and the youngest (13) keeps saying that when
she is 18 she wants the surgery to be skinny like her mom. She just
doesn't see the downside no matter how many times I tell her and show her.
What she "sees" is that her mom is smaller than her and keeps
losing. It's so hard to stress to her that this is NOT the answer that she
wants..it's a final decision after much contemplation and decision making
and research. Of course, all she knows is that she will "fit in"
if she is thin. It's so sad what society does to these young women.
— Barbara H.
February 25, 2002
I totally agree. I remember trying to diet for the first time in 4th
grade!!! I was 9 years old! I'm hoping and praying for the days of
Marilyn Monroe to return. She was a size 14 and was the biggest sex symbol
of her time! I figure eventually things will change, what's considered hot
one year, isn't the next.
— [Anonymous]
February 25, 2002
You know, as harsh as this sounds A size 10 model is big. Considering that
"normal" size models tend to be not only a size 0-2-3, but they
are also 5'11+. That is the world we live in. I was SO happy to finally
find a FABULOUS Magazine called MODE. It is for REAL women. Women with
curves. Know what? In January I got a notice saying My Mode subscription
was being transferred to WOMENS DAY, cause MODE was no longer being
published. It saddens me. Is there no IN BETWEEN?? I guess it's either
Cosmo, or BBW.......And as bad as we think American Society is, it's
Horrible in Europe too. THey think we are all Fat slobs, and love laughing
at us............Arrrrgh.
— [Anonymous]
February 25, 2002
Hi...it's totally insane that the fashion industry considers anything
larger than a size 8 to be "plus size". Runway models are
generally 4s and 6s. Right now I'd give my eye teeth to be a "plus
size" 10. I agree, it is appalling and promotes the ongoing deathly
problem with anorexia and body dysmorphic disorder in young women (and men
as well now). In general a print work or runway "plus size"
model would be no larger than a 12 or 14. (again, would love to be a
14...EVEN a 16 at this point). Amazing, isn't it? Hugs, Joy
— [Deactivated Member]
February 25, 2002
I have two teenage daughters and that infuriates me. They are both tall
like me (at 13 & 14, they are already 5'9)and have BMI's of 22 and 23.
Their freind's tease them about being FAT. This world is ridiculous when
beatiful, healthy people are put through that kind of stress and ridicule.
— Laurie V.
February 25, 2002
To the anonymous poster, I think BBW has been out of publication for at
least a couple of years now, so there are NO magazines with large size
fashions. I used to like Good Housekeeping quite a bit. However, when
they had their annual winter coat issue, for about the third consecutive
year, saying that in their pictures of 100 coats there was something for
'everyone' and there wasn't one coat that came in a size larger than 16. .
. Well, needless to say I don't subscribe any more.
— garw
February 25, 2002
I was 13 years old the first time I went on a diet. That first diet
consisted of not eating for two days. That started my life on a
rollercoaster ride that has yet to stop. I can honestly say that all of the
media attention on weight had a drastic effect on me when I was younger.
Feeling like I didn't fit in because I did not look like the girls in
magazines and on TV was a closely guarded secret, but the feelings were
there just the same. As strange as it may sound, I am one that dieted my
way up to 400 pounds. I have seen the websites that Barbara Henson spoke of
in her post. The thing that terrified me about them the most was knowing
how I would have used this when I was younger. There are young girls out
there being coached on how to starve themselves to death. How sick is that?
These websites also give instruction on how to become bulimic as a way to
cope if you are having a difficult time starving. It seems to me that this
should be illegal somehow, but I suppose freedom of the press keeps them
from proscecution. SAD. That is what I call misusing our rights big time.
— ScatCat
February 25, 2002
Gar, I hate to correct you, but there are magazines for fashion. They are
aimed at plus sized women. One is "Mode" in which Emme, the
famous gorgeous plus sized model appears in often.
— Goldilauxx B.
February 25, 2002
My apologies, I didn't continue reading. I didn't realize Mode is ending
publication. I get that magazine and haven't received any kind of notice.
I know there are other fashion magazines for the plus sized woman, however
I don't have names, nor do I know the quality of the mags.
— Goldilauxx B.
February 25, 2002
You know it really is disgusting! I remember a time many years back when my
step-sister decided she was too fat, so she would only eat on Sundays and
the rest of the week she would drink milk or juice. She thought going out
and having a white russian in a bar was a meal. She started at 128 lbs and
ended up at 92 lbs. She lost a whole lot of hair and still (15 yrs later)
has problems with her hair. She used to keep fashion magazines around and
circle the pictures with notes like..... "Must have hips like
her". It is sad but true!!!
— [Anonymous]
February 25, 2002
Katy...</p> I had to look and find out where you were from, because
I've been seeing the same comercials lately... I drove by the Century
center here in South Bend the last time they had that "model
search" and you know most of them women that were "plus
sized""size 10 and over" still looked like the every other
models I look at every day.. UGH! And I know what you mean about the self
esteem of the children, my 4 year old decided she is "fat" not to
long ago... (she has a kiddie belly - and is average sized outside of that
because she's so TALL) 4 years old and the media can have an affect on
her... I can't imagine the teenagers (media never done much to my ego, it
had been deflated really early...) Just sounding off... -sigh- If a size 10
is still considered "plus size" I'll be fat forever and I'll have
to get over it :) Good luck, Elizabeth
— Elizabeth D.
February 25, 2002
Katy, it is soo sad to see things like this. I guess we're all supposed to
be 6 foot tall and weigh 90 pounds soaking wet. It's like in Cosmo, where
they'll have an aricle about anorexia and bulemia, and how sad and
dangerous it is, then right next to it they'll have a clothing ad with a
VERY skinny model. Society takes things to too much of an extreme. It's
going to cause our children their health and happiness evem more than it
has ours. It makes me mad!
Donna in AL
— Donna S. C.
February 25, 2002
Oh boy did your post get my blood boiling!! Like most of the rest of the
posters this is one of my pet peeves. I have a 19 year old daughter. She is
gorgeous and a size 12. She thinks that she is hideously fat! She is
perhaps 50 lbs overweight but struggles to stay even at the weight she is.
She has my genes and will probably struggle with her weight all of her
life. If the time comes that she needs/desires WLS she'll have my full
support. But for now, the media, her college friends and the world in
general has her convinced that she is a huge ugly blob. It makes me furious
to see her feeling this way! I'm also a high school teacher and see the
pressure that society puts on every young girls. The "ideal"
woman is of a body type almost never found in the real world. How many 5'
10"+ women, thin enough to be a size 2-6 do you know that have huge
bouncy boobs? That body type is flat as a board 99% of the time. Yet
"hollywood" and the pages of magazines are filled with them,
thanks to sticking blobs of silicone in the chests of tall, thin, flat
chested and very young girls. Add to that thousands of dollars spent on
plastic surgery to "perfect" their faces, personal trainers and
hours spent exersizing each day, tons of makeup and hair treatments etc. No
real young woman can compete with that! 95% of my female students are
demoralized by the fact that they feel ugly. The very few who fit the ideal
mold are vain and full of themselves. They have been deluded into thinking
that happiness is based on good looks. They are victims of this foolish
notion too, and are in for a rude awakening one day. It makes me sooo
angry!! I guess that is obvious and I should get off my soap box and go to
work and try to boost the self esteme of these precious young girls I work
with. Thanks for a chance to vent!
— Bobbie B.
February 26, 2002
Since a few were bemoaning the death of "Mode" magazine, thought
I'd point out "Radiance" if you're not familiar with it. It's a
magazine geared at promoting health and beauty at higher weights. Unlike
"Mode" or similar magazines that deal with "plus sized"
women, this magazine actually features *large* women (I only read
"Mode" once - and it seemed the largest women in there were about
a sz 14). It's expensive, but I always found it worth it. They do have a
website, but I can't recall it offhand (I'm thinking
www.radiancemagazine.com but I'm not positive). <P>
For the moms who are going through surgery, may I also make a little
recommendation - don't harp on how wonderful you feel because you look
better now. I know, you do feel great, and that's wonderful. BUT... I
remember vividly my mother losing large amounts of weight on two diets
(Weight Watchers and medically supervised liquid nutrition plan), and any
time she'd talk about how great it made her feel, I'd have this feeling she
was saying "now I'm not the big ugly blob you are!" They'll
probably still pick up on how different you're treated (and how different
you can act) at a smaller size, but it may lessen the sense of being
rejected or having your mother agree with society that you're too fat to be
beautiful.
— Heather W.
February 26, 2002
My best friend, who is male, was by my side throughout my entire weight
loss journey. His mom made me homemade ice cream for the 4-day pre-op
liquid diet. He took my kids to school the morning of surgery, picked me
up from the hospital, and drove me back and forth to post-op appointments.
He watched me go from 355 to 183. Size 32/34 to 12/14 since April 2000.
He posted updates to my surgery page when I had my abdominoplasty. Just
this morning he was looking at my progress pics and called me up to tell
me, "You've come a long way, baby! Just wait until you get to 98
pounds!" He tells me I'm beautiful, smart, etc., and that he wishes
he could find a woman just like me. Guess what, that's not a compliment,
it's an insult. That's very shallow of someone to base their potential
interest in someone on body size. Honestly, if they aren't petite (5' and
80 lbs) and blonde, he's not interested. I had to tell him that his ego
weighed 98 lbs, that I had no desire to weigh 98 lbs, and he didn't know
what he was missing. I'm sure my boyfriend can tell him!
— [Deactivated Member]
February 26, 2002
Here's an interesting magazine...www.extrahip.com.
— [Deactivated Member]
February 26, 2002
thank you heather - great advice that I will keep in mind.
— Bobbie B.
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