Plus Sized and Proud
I don’t normally watch the news because I end up loudly telling the anchormen and women how I would fix the world’s problems. (So far no one has beaten down my door seeking my great advice. But I have faith they will come.) I don’t know why, but I had the channel on news the other day, and a small bit of it caught my attention. If you follow me on Facebook, you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about. If you don’t follow me, well, you’re behind the times. Go here and “Like” me. Then you’ll be in the loop!
Okay, back to my recent indignation. The news started quite nicely. It was talking about how Ralph Lauren just hired its first ever plus size model. I sat down and watched as the reporter continued. I was quite excited because I’m sick of the pressure our culture puts on girls and women to be skinnier than a stick.
However, excitement turned sour about halfway through the report. (Click here if you want to read the article online.) When asked of her weight, the “plus size” model Robyn Lawley declined to answer. Instead, she responded with her size. At 6 feet and 2 inches, she is a size 12.
That’s when I started to tell the television just what I thought. I’ll edit it for you.
First of all, I want to know when size 12 – which is average – became a plus size. You might be wondering what my size is and if that has something to do with my ire. I am way over size 12, but I also just had my daughter. While I was pregnant, I was the heaviest I’ve ever been in my life. I’ve lost a lot of weight since she was born, but I still have a long ways to go.
Despite being heavier than ever, my self-esteem has never been higher. Perhaps my husband is just very wise or perhaps he’s just honest, but he compliments me almost every day on my looks. Besides, when I see my daughter, I don’t care what I weigh. I’m just overjoyed to have her in my life.
However, I do wish to get into shape. Someone recently asked me how much I wanted to lose. I don’t know, and I don’t care. I want to get into shape and be healthy. What that means on the scale is something to be seen. I refuse to play the numbers game and think “I’ll be happy when I reach size 12.” You play the size game, and you’ll never be happy. You’ll get to size 12 and want to reach 10. 10 becomes an 8. And so it continues.
I didn’t get irritated by this report because of my size. I am mad about it for all the women and girls out there whose self esteem just crashed because they are size 12 and are now labeled as plus sized. How many girls and women are going to be too embarrassed to be seen buying size 12? How many of them will become anorexic, bulimic, or perhaps begin to binge eat? How many of those girls and women just need to be told that they are beautiful exactly how they are?
Before you think I’ve lost my mind, take a look at these statistics. If you want to read more, go to the website of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders. I gathered these statistics from them, but there is a lot more information there.
Up to 24 million people of all ages and genders suffer from an eating disorder (anorexia, bulimia and binge eating disorder) in the U.S. 86% began by age 20; 43% began between ages of 16 and 20.
Among adolescents, anorexia is the third most common chronic illness. In fact, 42% of 1st-3rd grade girls want to be thinner. 81% of 10 year olds are afraid of being fat.
95% of those who have eating disorders are between the ages of 12 and 25. The peak onset of eating disorders occurs during puberty and the late teen/early adult years, but symptoms can occur as young as kindergarten.
The mortality rate associated with anorexia nervosa is 12 times higher than the death rate associated with all causes of death for females 15-24 years old. Also, 20% of people suffering from anorexia will prematurely die from complications related to their eating disorder, including suicide and heart problems. Eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of any mental disorder.
Over one-half of teenage girls and nearly one-third of teenage boys use unhealthy weight control behaviors such as skipping meals, fasting, smoking cigarettes, vomiting, and taking laxatives.
69% of girls in 5th-12th grade reported that magazine pictures influenced their idea of a perfect body shape.
Nearly 10 million females and 1 million males in the U.S. are battling eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia, while millions more suffer from binge eating disorder.
More than one in three normal dieters progresses to pathological dieting.
The body type portrayed in advertising as the ideal is possessed naturally by only 5% of American females.
It’s this last statistic that brings me to my second thought.
I want to know why, in a culture that encourages us to think outside the bun (or box), is there only one definition of beautiful. The United States is famous for its individualistic spirit. It’s this spirit that led people to become pioneers, to take chances in business, to stand out from the crowd and create anything from technology to the arts.
But when it comes to beauty, our society refuses to believe that there can be any other definition than the current standard. According to the fashion world and Hollywood, beauty is skinny, tall, and lots of curves. Beauty is no longer in the eye of the beholder, for the beholder is told (at least when it comes to women and men) exactly what is beautiful.
Read that statistic again: The body type portrayed in advertising as the ideal is possessed naturally by only 5% of American females.
Doesn’t this just boggle your mind? 95% of us are trying – literally dying – to be like the other 5%.
Even models have a hard time hitting this irrational ideal of beauty. Sara Ziff, a model and an advocate for better working conditions for her coworkers, said this in an interview, “One friend of mine was told by her agency to only eat one rice cake a day to keep her weight down and if that didn’t work, half a rice cake.”
As a fiction writer, I have a great imagination. But surely it can’t be that hard to imagine a society where all body types are considered as beautiful.
Just who was the genius that decided what beauty is today? Why are we all trying to conform to unrealistic concept?
How I long to wrap all these girls and women who are chasing this impossible ideal of beauty into a big hug and tell them about God’s love. He doesn’t care what size you are, He doesn’t present an unattainable challenge for you and then shun you when you can’t achieve it. Whether you are 100 pounds overweight or starving yourself to death, He just wants you to know how incredibly much He loves you. And if you’re still wrapped up in wanting beauty, He even outlined His idea of beauty in the Bible. The great thing is that anyone can attain it. Without dieting.
One final thought: One of my recent pet peeves is when a woman is presented with the tasty, sugary treat. What’s the first thing we always say? “Oh, I shouldn’t. But I’ll just take one. I know I’ll regret it later.”
This is nuts! God gave us sweets! If I want it, I’m going to enjoy it. That may mean I have to exercise later, but I refuse to live in guilt because of one little chocolate chip cookie. I’m going to enjoy the treats God has given us in this world.
I have much more to say about this matter but will put it into the next blog post. Until then, you can find me shopping in the plus sized side of the store. You should come on over. There are some really cute clothes over here!
I always end with questions, but this time I really want to know your opinion on this topic. Am I going overboard, or do you think our culture has gotten out of control? Have you seen people who have been affected by pressure to be skinny? Is it worse for women than for men?
