The image above is cropped from a photograph of professional model Lizzie Miller taken by Walter Chin for the September issue of US Glamour.
'It's a photo that measures all of three by three inches," gushes Cindi Leive, editor of US Glamour in a post on the magazine's blog, "but the letters about it started to flood my inbox literally the day Glamour hit newsstands." The picture in question, illustrating a story about body confidence, has generated more than 700 comments on the site...Additional discussion in another column at the Guardian today:
Lizzie Miller, the 20-year-old model in question, agrees that it's astonishing that, at 5ft 11in and 12.5 stone she's considered a "plus size" model. "It's sad," she says. "In the industry anything over size six is considered a plus-size." Miller, who is around a US size 12-14 (that is, either average or slightly below average...
...even the most beautiful women in the world – Heidi Klum, Renée Zellweger, Nicole Kidman – had what we have all been brainwashed to believe are 'imperfections'. I was told over and over again by management that unadulterated women wouldn't sell magazines. I once left all the lines on the face of one actress, and was roundly told off." Jones says the reason we are sold "perfection" really is as blunt as trying to make us to buy more products. "The advertisers and publishers need us to believe the lie that if we do what we are told – buy stuff – we will look like the women in the pages of the magazine. People in the industry always say women prefer fantasy and aspiration, but I don't think that is true: we want honesty, we don't want to feel bad about ourselves, thinking we are the only women with cellulite or wobbly tummies."
People get really bent out of shape about weight comments no matter what the situation. I agree there is a problem with young women and anorexia, but at the same time there's an even larger (no pun intended) problem with young people and obesity. No one seems to understand moderation, I guess.
ReplyDeleteTo be honest, the woman pictured looks just a tad on the heavy side...as in slightly above healthy or normal doctor's chart numbers. This is not the same as "average". When we have, what is it, 40% of the population overweight or obese, of course "average" is going to be unhealthily overweight as well. (extremely large numbers skew an average). People in an obese society shouldn't be aiming for "average", they should be aiming for "healthy".
One word about muffin top...pilates. This woman doesn't appear overweight, just out of shape.
ReplyDeleteEveryone knows muffin tops are the best part.
ReplyDeleteI agree that she is not overweight but out of shape. A few trips to the gym per week can do the body a world of good =)
ReplyDeleteHer BMI would be within the "normal" range.
ReplyDeleteMost models today make me want to vomit. Kate Moss looks like she's about to die, yet she's considered by many to be a "perfect" runway model.
ReplyDeleteFor me, a slightly fluffy woman is the picture of health. From head to toe: a smart, thoughtful, person who would do anything for anyone, but won't be walked all over by anybody, nice plump (not flabby) upper arms, a natural ample bosom, a nice fluffy little tummy with a donut belly-button, love handles that accentuate the slightly concave small of the back, curvy hips, thighs that Colonel Sanders would kill for,...an all-around Reubenesque beauty with a smile that can melt my heart...
...of course, I'm thinking about my girlfriend, the most wonderful creature to grace this planet.
I feel like throwing some models a burger or a granola bar. i think a model must be a beautiful women you know healthy looking not walking sticks. All the publicity get these girls to be anorexic and health issues are becoming like a trend. A good model has some meat not only bones and flesh.
ReplyDeleteWhat I always find fascinating is the lack of conversation about how being UNDER weight is almost precisely as bad, if not worse on your body as being overweight. It causes similar joint issues, muscular fatigue, strain on the heart and vascular system, in women; a cessation of menses. Plenty of people who live most of their life as overweight or obese never develop any health problems.
ReplyDeleteI myself have been anorexic and obese. I don't particularly enjoy being in either camp and would absolutely love to fall into that "healthy" range. But, I happen to have several health problems with no (known) relationship to weight that will cause me problems no matter what my size.
I think she is beautiful
ReplyDeleteI do too. Very sexy hot looking....
Deleteamazing, thic is better than thin in my book
ReplyDeleteI just love society perceptions. This is a picture of the model Lizzy Miller after she had not long given birth. Please excuse her for bringing life into the world......I am sure she didn't mean to offend societies expectations of perfection. Whats more sad is that this beautiful model is not the only one victimized by society for being imperfect to the standards of a damn magazine. Sometimes I wish that the internet didn't exist so that pictures like this couldn't get slandered.
ReplyDelete