While I'm not terribly enthusiastic about nude photos in glossy magazines--sexual or not--I have to admit that I loved this picture of a "real" woman, complete with sagging belly, stretch marks, and larger thighs, in Glamour. She's a plus-size model and her body is the real deal.
It's sad, though, that a size 12-14 is considered plus-size. I'm in the neighborhood of size 10-12 right now and last time I checked, I was a size medium. If medium is plus-size, I hate to think what a large or extra-large would be...
Thanks for posting this link! As a women with PCOS (and a healthy, active size 14), I've struggled with weight all my life. For the most part I keep a pretty good body image, but there are those days... This was one of those days and this article got me back on my feet! Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI saw that too. It's a good step in the right direction.
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful photo, way to go glamour! (Although a few points lost for her being labeled "plus-sized" when she seems pretty darn NORMAL to me!) I honestly find this far more beautiful than many of the air-brushed beauties you find in magazines or on TV.
ReplyDeleteIn defense of labeling her "plus-sized", that is strictly a term from the modeling world, my little sister is a model (a healthy 5'9" size 2. What they want for the runways is a walking hanger). When dealing with women's clothing plus sizes are more often considered to be sizes above 16 so I feel its important to make note of that difference. I like the fact that the pose in the photo actually accentuates the belly sag rather than trying to camouflage it. More pics of healthy, normal women in magazines is exactly what this society needs.
ReplyDeleteWhat they want for the runways is a walking hanger
ReplyDeleteAmen, and amen!! They don't look healthy, normal, nor in many cases, even pretty. I call it the "death camp look." I think most men (definitely including my husband) would even say that these women are unattractive.
-Kathy
Size Large and X-Large are obese and morbidly obese, respectively. I say that with just a hint of snark. Due to the "human hangers" we see in magzines and on tv, the general population has no idea how actual weight relates to visual size.
ReplyDeleteThere are people who will say 160 pounds on a woman is fat, but depending on her height might be a size 8. I can't remember the website now, but someone, Kate Harding maybe, put together hundreds of photos of people with their weight and BMI. It's interesting to see how 230 pounds can look "pleasantly plump" and yet be categorized thru BMI as being morbidly obese.
I don't look as heavy as I weigh. Somehow I must be more muscular or something. It's not just people underestimating my weight out of being nice; but at 5'5" when I weighed 160 (a dozen years ago!) I was a size 8-10. Weird.
ReplyDelete-Kathy
@womantowoman: that funny because when I last wore size 8-10 I weighed 140 and I'm 5'4". Just goes to show, there is no perfect number.
ReplyDeleteHmmm... I recognize that belly ;)
ReplyDeleteI try to remember that it's evidence of my 4 beautiful children, but sometimes I wish it wasn't there. Thanks for posting this link.
Thanks for linking to my blog on this. :) I've got my fingers crossed that this becomes a trend with more real women of every shape being shown.
ReplyDeleteIn modeling and in Hollywood, many size 8, 10, and 12 women are considered "plus-sized." But then, many of modeling world's "ideal bodies" have BMIs in the really dangerously low range. They are that far skewed. So while a size 10 might be "plus-sized" in the modeling world, it's not in the real world. Sad.
ReplyDeleteAs for what is considered "plus-sized," it's a question I get asked at when I speak at midwifery and birth conferences and mention my website, www.plus-size-pregnancy.org.
I generally let people self-define whether or not they are "plus-sized," but if I have to make a definition, I use the clothing world.
Generally speaking, anything above a size 12 is considered a plus-size. My teenaged daughter is about a size 14 and just today I could not buy her clothes in a local giant warehouse store because their women's sizes stopped at 12. That's not unusual. Many stores do carry 14 and 16 or maybe even 18 but generally consider those plus sizes.
If you get a chance, you really should take a moment to check out Kate Harding's BMI illustration project, which shows pix of actual women and their BMI and associated label. Gives a more realistic feel for what various categories actually look like.